ARCHIVED: Small Business and Red Tape Reduction
Ask any small business owner what their biggest challenge is, and they’ll tell you it’s wading through red tape.
The B.C. government understands that red tape costs businesses time and money and is committed to creating a regulatory environment that allows small businesses to grow and thrive.
Red Tape Awareness Week, hosted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), is an opportunity to reflect on our efforts to reduce red tape. Over the past 15 years, the Province has reduced regulatory requirements by 43% - that’s more than 155,000 requirements off the books. We’ve kept the number of regulations low by extending our commitment to net zero increase in regulatory requirements until 2019. A net zero increase means eliminating one existing requirement when a new requirement is needed. It means that small businesses aren’t faced with an ever-growing pile of regulations.
It’s this dedication to a more diversified economy that has earned our province seven triple-A credit ratings since 2004. And it’s this dedication to making life easier for businesses and citizens that has earned us five ‘A’ grades in a row from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. B.C. is the only province in Canada to receive top marks so many times. But we aren’t resting on our accomplishments.
This year we took significant steps to build on our commitment to reduce red tape. In July, the Premier created the new Ministry of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction to put the focus on helping small businesses. In October, the Province created the new Red Tape Reduction Day to highlight its commitment to regulatory reform. This past fall, we held a successful public consultation on reducing red tape for British Columbians.
More than 5,900 people participated throughout the consultation and we received more than 280 ideas to improve service delivery. We’re reviewing those ideas now and working to implement them. One of the major themes we heard during the consultation was the need to improve customer service.
For example, several people mentioned that getting to a Service BC location during their hours of operation – especially in rural areas – was difficult. This month, the Province launched a pilot to extend the hours of operation at Service BC offices in Maple Ridge, Vernon and Prince George. Maple Ridge and Vernon are extending their hours later in the day, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., adding one extra hour of service. The Prince George Service BC office will be open on Saturdays by appointment. Longer hours make it easier for people to get their business done on their schedule.
Our goal is to make government services easier to access and simpler to use. This is only the beginning. Over the coming months, you’ll hear about more ways we are building on your ideas. By improving service delivery, we’re helping to reduce red tape for citizens and businesses.
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy – they represent more than 98% of all businesses in our province and are responsible for 33% of our province’s GDP. We need to reduce red tape to foster the growth of small business, which spurs innovation and creates jobs.
I’m thankful that the Canadian Federation of Independent Business has recognized our efforts this year by awarding B.C. another ‘A’ grade. We’re proud to celebrate Red Tape Awareness Week and will continue to work to reduce red tape all year long.
We're sharpening our scissors so we remain a national leader in red tape reduction. Our vision is simple: To be the most small-business-friendly jurisdiction in the country.
Province receives fifth ‘A’ grade in reducing red tape: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016SBRT0004-000050
