FRONTCOUNTER BC, GATEWAY TO ASIA PACIFIC OPPORTUNITIES

SURREY – Award-winning FrontCounter BC is now open in Surrey to serve natural resource-based clients, with a specific focus on Asia Pacific business prospects, Agriculture and Lands Minister Pat Bell announced today.

“FrontCounter BC Surrey reflects the ethnic diversity of the Lower Mainland by offering clients service in English and 11 additional languages,” said Bell. “The Surrey office also capitalizes on its position at Canada’s Pacific Gateway by helping British Columbia’s natural resource sector pursue new opportunities in rapidly developing markets such as China and India.”

FrontCounter BC provides clients with a direct link to provincial natural resource-related ministries and agencies. Before FrontCounter BC, natural resource clients went through an often time-consuming and frustrating process of obtaining permits and authorizations from several different agencies in a number of different locations. FrontCounter BC simplifies the process by offering a single access point for the required permits and authorizations.

Surrey’s FrontCounter BC office is able to serve clients in a dozen languages with the help of Integrated Land Management Bureau staff. Languages include: French, German, Punjabi, Hindi, Dutch, Spanish, Tagalog/Filipino, Czech, Japanese, Cantonese and Mandarin.

“As a business community, FrontCounter BC is exactly the type of program to benefit our businesses,” said Doug Watkins, president of the Surrey Board of Trade. “FrontCounter BC makes it easier for our members to focus on their day-to-day businesses, and leave the intricacies of permit and authorization approvals to the pros.”

FrontCounter BC is part of government’s ongoing, long-term plan to deliver services when and where needed. The goal is to give natural resource business clients access to the services they need in one location instead of having to make numerous queries at several different natural resource agencies. In March 2006, FrontCounter BC gained major recognition by taking top honours in the cross-governmental integration category at the Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Awards.

FrontCounter BC provides complete information across the provincial natural resource sector and accepts applications and fees for over 100 permits, licenses, tenures, and related authorizations on behalf of partner agencies. Staff do not ‘lobby’ to have projects approved; they act as liaisons between the client and host ministries and agencies, advocating for timely decisions and responses. FrontCounter BC offers the convenience of cash, debit or credit card payments for services.

In addition to its single-window service for clients of provincial natural resource ministries and agencies, FrontCounter BC also offers OneStop Business Registry and Small Business BC services as well as access to a wide range of government information and services available online via a Community Access Terminal (CAT).

For more information on FrontCounter BC, including locations and contact information, visit www.frontcounterbc.gov.bc.ca.

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Media contact:	Liz Bicknell Communications Director 250 256-2862 250 213-3072 (cell)

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