Interesting facts from India:
According to Mr. Vinod Rai, former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, in an interview with the Economic Times (14 June 2014)
“When a government [in India] expands, each paper would ordinarily go through seven signature levels, from section officer, under secretary, deputy secretary/director, joint secretary, additional secretary, special secretary and then secretary. […].
“We have to cut through the red tape. If a secretary requires six signatures before approving something, he is not worthy of the position. An under secretary or director can see a paper, send it on to the joint secretary and then straight to secretary. From six, to three levels is a clean cut that can be made immediately.”
Source: Economic Times, 14 June 2014.