The Small Business Roundtable welcomes two new members to its board as it begins consulting with small businesses across the province in 2012: Shachi Kurl and Shafiq Jamal.

Kurl and Jamal join co-chairs Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Pat Bell and Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger, and the 16 other members who make up the roundtable. The roundtable's mandate is to identify key small-business issues and opportunities, provide recommendations to enhance the small-business climate and champion small-business interests.

The roundtable is travelling to Port Alberni on March 20 and Tofino on March 21 to consult with small-business owners in both communities.

Through 'Canada Starts Here: the BC Jobs Plan', the Province is making direct investments in the small-business sector to spur growth, innovation and job creation.

Quotes:

MLA Kevin Krueger, co-chair of the Small Business Roundtable -

"Both Shachi and Shafiq bring a wealth of valuable experience to the roundtable. I welcome both of them as we start a new year of consultations, meeting face-to-face with B.C.'s talented small business entrepreneurs."

Shachi Kurl, director of provincial affairs for Canadian Federation of Independent Business for BC and Yukon -

"I'm pleased and honoured to be working with a group of experienced individuals who are committed to championing small-business interests in BC. Small business is the backbone of the provincial economy."

Shafiq Jamal, VP, Western Canada, Retail Council of Canada -

"On behalf of our entire retail membership base in B.C., which extends from the independent store owner through to the mid-to-large retailer, the Retail Council of Canada is pleased to be invited to participate in the small business roundtable. This significant initiative, spearheaded by the government of B.C., provides a forum to engage in dialogue to find ways to help government achieve its objectives while helping business remain significant and active contributors to the economy, adding jobs, investing in people and their businesses and continuing to support the local communities in which they live and work."

Quick Facts:

• The Small Business Roundtable is committed to making British Columbia the most-small business friendly jurisdiction in Canada by cutting red tape and making it easier and less expensive to do business in the province.

• B.C. is leading the country in the fight against red tape as the first government in Canada to enshrine in law the requirement to publish annual reports about regulatory reform (Bill 7 - the Regulatory Reporting Act) and has eliminated more than 150,000 regulatory requirements since since 2001.

• BizPaL provides one-stop access to permit and licence information for all levels of government, reducing a process that once took seven hours to 20 or 30 minutes.

• Mobile Business Licence: The Province continues to promote and support the adoption of a mobile business licence by local governments. By purchasing one licence rather than multiple non-resident permits, a mobile business licence allows a business to operate in any participating municipality.

Learn More:

About Small Business Roundtable: http://www.smallbusinessroundtable.ca/Pages/Default.aspx

Mobile Business Licence: http://www.smallbusinessroundtable.ca/MBL/Pages/AboutMobileBusinessLicence.aspx

Contact:

Sheldon Johnson
Media Relations
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation
250 213-5811