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NEWS RELEASE
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For Immediate Release Jan. 14, 2010 |
Ministry of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development
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B.C. AND SMALL BUSINESS STEP UP BATTLE AGAINST RED TAPE
VICTORIA – The B.C. Government is making red tape reduction a fixed agenda item in its conversations with small businesses and has launched a new project to streamline and simplify government forms, announced Iain Black, Minister of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development. Black also congratulated the Canadian Federation of Independent Business on the success of “Red Tape Awareness Week.”
“The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has done a great job of bringing to everyone’s attention the need to reduce red tape,” said Black. “The CFIB has recognized British Columbia as a national leader in regulatory reform, and we’re building on that achievement by expanding our red tape consultations with B.C. businesses and launching a new project to streamline and simplify government forms.”
Starting this year, regulatory reform will be part of each of the consultations held by the Small Business Roundtable throughout the province. The roundtable is the voice of small business within government and based on consultations, creates an annual report detailing ways government and small business can improve B.C.’s business climate.
“I encourage small businesses to tell us about their experiences with red tape at all levels of government so we can help support further streamlining,” said Black. “Clearly, business owners are less concerned about which level of government is creating regulations than they are about the cumulative effect on their bottom line.”
In addition to the increased focus on regulatory reform during its consultations with small business, government is also announcing a project that will simplify some provincial forms. The cross-government project’s first phase will streamline two often-used forms relating to employment records and society annual reports, adding the option for people to submit information online.
British Columbia has eliminated more than 152,000 regulations since 2001 – a red tape reduction of over 42 per cent. Government created Straightforward BC to track and monitor its regulations, and to report quarterly on progress made to reduce them. The Province has committed to maintaining a zero net increase in regulations through to 2012.
“When we reduce red tape we increase productivity, profitability, wages and living standards,” said Laura Jones, western vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, which this week ranked B.C. first in a cross-Canada survey of leaders in regulatory reform. “B.C. has shown political leadership in addressing this problem and I know the small business consultations and form redesigns will go a long way to furthering this momentum.”
“The Small Business Roundtable has met with over 600 small business owners so far, and based on their input, government has introduced tools like BizPaL, the Mobile Business Licence and the Small Business Lens to cut red tape and consider its impacts on business,” said roundtable co-chair Linda Larson. “I look forward to the next round of solutions that will emerge as part of our consultations.”
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Media Contact:
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Communications Ministry of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development 250 952-0615 |
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