Red tape actually implies excessive standards that probably doesn't lead to any real accountability gains. You can have a lot of red tape with all bad rules, for example.
I know when it is used as a slogan at political rallies, and they just simply call out things like "these regulations, so stupid, why can't we dump waste in the river, they are reducing our profits".
It is all about profit. The environment, or safety, anything in the way of profit is called '"red-tape" and is put there by some do-gooder.
So, yes, I think I can infer when someone talks about getting rid of 'red-tape' what they are "meaning". But that is also why I listed several categories of red-tape, since some 'red-tape' should be updated.
The First Law of Modern Politics is that nothing may ever be called by its right name. This applies recursively, i.e. it applies to metaphors and euphemisms as well as to their original referents. "Red tape" means "you are making it harder for me to steal money, cut that shít out."
