The government's propensity for rushing through ill-considered or poorly drafted laws and regulations is costing the country billions and is contributing to the policy uncertainty that continues to stymie the National Development Plan, our blueprint for growth to 2030. Just consider the impact of the controversial visa regulations - aimed at stopping child trafficking but so wide-ranging that they had to be watered down because of their devastating effect on tourist arrivals.Millions, possibly billions, in potential revenue were lost - at a time when the plummeting rand should have resulted in a tourism bonanza for our economy.While agriculture reels from a crippling drought, and mining and manufacturing are shedding jobs, tourism is potentially a massive - and rapid - job creator.Then there was the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill , which has had to be redrafted despite being rushed through parliament by the ANC before the 2014 general election.The bill had many problems - chief among them being the iniquitous ''free carry'' provision, which automatically gave the state shares in future private-sector oil and gas investments. The result: no investment.Consider, too the Private Security Industry Regulation Bill, which sought to force the foreign owners of security firms in South Africa to cede 51% of their shareholdings to locals. If it had been enacted without amendment the bill could have blown our favourable trade relationship with the US out of the water, and even opened the door to economic sanctions.Little wonder then that business is starting to speak out against the authorities' apparent reluctance to thoroughly assess the impact of laws on jobs and the economy.If the NDP, which envisages an annual growth rate of 5%, is to become a reality, we'll have to ditch our penchant for drafting and rushing through poorly thought out laws...