The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has released its annual report card grading provinces on their efforts to cut red tape, and British Columbia is the only province to be given an 'A' rating - for the third year in a row.

Today the B.C. government also is announcing five priority projects to further cut red tape this year. Red tape is not always the result of regulations, and can often include overly complex forms or technical information that is difficult to understand. After working with CFIB and consulting with small businesses, five projects have been identified to further reduce red tape in British Columbia:

• Procurement for Small Business: a simplified two-page form for request for proposals to make it easier for small businesses to do business with government on opportunities less than $250,000.
• "How to Start a Restaurant in B.C.": develop an online roadmap that clearly explains to entrepreneurs how to start up and operate a restaurant in B.C. This project will also involve research to find ways to reduce the time a restaurant spends interacting with government.
• Regulatory Reform Refresh: a commitment to develop a plan to refresh the way government is tackling regulatory reform to ensure B.C. remains a national and global leader in minimizing regulatory burden and cutting red tape.
• Citizen Centred Web Services: a commitment to deliver information and programs in a way that is open and transparent, allowing citizens to engage in making informed decisions and ensuring first-rate access to services.
• WorkSafeBC Strategy: A WorkSafeBC-led project to simplify registration documents and make improvements to their website to reduce complexity and clarify requirements for small businesses.

B.C. leads the country in cutting red tape, as it is the first province to enshrine in law the requirement to publish annual reports about progress made on regulatory reform. Since 2001, government has reduced regulatory requirements by over 42 per cent.

Quotes:

Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business Naomi Yamamoto -

"The B.C. government is proud to be recognized by CFIB as a leader in cutting red tape by awarding us with an 'A' grade - for the third year in a row. Red tape costs small businesses time and money - that's why we're pumping up our fight against red tape."

"Our new top five priority projects will help clear the path so small business can focus on what matters - growing their business and creating jobs."

Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizen Services Andrew Wilkinson -

"Finding ways to cut red tape and streamline processes requires ongoing efforts. My ministry is doing our part to reduce red tape by simplifying the procurement process for small businesses and enhancing government's online presence to make it easier for people and businesses to find information online."

CFIB executive vice-president Laura Jones -

"Red tape reform has a simple formula: Measure, report, repeat. You can't get where you're going if you don't know where you are. The British Columbia government has committed to doing this, and they are showing the rest of Canada how it is done."

President/CEO of BC Restaurant and Food Services Association Ian Tostensen -

"Our industry is proud to work with the B.C. government to reduce red tape and regulation in our very regulated industry. This will give existing business owners more time to grow their sales and give new owners a quicker way to enter the industry."

Quick Facts:

• Red tape is defined as burdensome, often unnecessary, government administrative processes and regulatory requirements.
• Regulatory requirements are defined as government imposed obligations, licences and laws with which citizens and businesses must comply.
• In the past 13 years, the B.C. government has cut more than 154,000 regulatory requirements.

Learn More:

Find out more about regulatory reform in B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/regulatoryreform

To see CFIB's complete Provincial Red Tape Report Card, please visit: http://www.cfib-fcei.ca/english/index.html

Media Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour
Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business
250 387-2799

BACKGROUNDER

More details on the five priority projects to further reduce red tape in B.C.:

1. Procurement for Small Business:

Government is developing a simplified two-page form for request for proposals to make it easier for small businesses to do business with government on opportunities less than $250,000. Starting as a pilot project, it is expected this two-page form will be in place provincewide by spring 2014.

B.C. businesses will benefit from the simplified format, meaning they will no longer have to review dozens of pages of materials to determine if they should respond to an opportunity. When they do respond, it will take much less time to complete the process. By making it easier to respond, businesses will have improved access to provincial procurement opportunities under $250,000.

This project follows through on one of the principles of the BC Small Business Accord, to create long-term growth opportunities for small business and to reduce barriers to government's procurement process.

2. "How to Start a Restaurant in B.C.":

The restaurant and food services sector is heavily regulated in B.C. The government understands the task of complying with the applicable laws and regulations can be time consuming and at times frustrating.

The purpose of this project is to reduce the time a restaurant or food-based business spends interacting with the government. A key part of this includes developing an online roadmap that clearly explains what to expect when starting or maintaining a restaurant in British Columbia.

As well, the project will examine the current state of business service delivery to the restaurant and foodservices sector in B.C. to look at ways to simplify and streamline the way government interacts with the sector.

3. Regulatory Reform Refresh:

Since 2001, British Columbia has been leading the way in the fight against unnecessary red tape and regulatory requirements. Government has reduced regulatory requirements by more than 42 per cent and has committed to a net-zero regulatory gain up to 2015.

This project is a commitment to continue to advance and build a modernized plan to refresh the way government is tackling regulatory reform to ensure B.C. remains a national and global leader in cutting red tape.

This new phase of regulatory reform will build on the successes of the past with a renewed focus on reducing the burden government places on citizens and business to encourage economic stimulation.

4. Citizen Centred Web Services:

The vast number of web pages, websites, and forms across the B.C. government means that British Columbians often have to work hard to find the information and services they need. In addition, the multiple legacy websites with unique designs supported by multiple systems may result in the inefficient use of public resources.

The B.C. government is committed to delivering information and programs in a way that is open and transparent, communicating our values to British Columbians, allowing citizens to engage in making informed decisions and ensuring first-rate access to services. The overall vision is a unified approach for government to offer a high-quality experience for citizens and businesses. As a result, government is moving toward a consolidated, coherent and cost-effective online presence over the next three years.

5. WorkSafeBC Strategy:

A WorkSafeBC-led project to simplify registration documents and make improvements to their website to reduce the complexity and clarify requirements for businesses. WorkSafeBC took on this project after hearing from the small business community that registration materials were technical and could be improved by using plain language. More details on this new strategy will be announced by WorkSafeBC in the coming months.

Media Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour
Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business
250 387-2799