The B.C. government is leading the way in the fight against red tape while keeping its commitment to a net-zero increase in regulatory requirements until 2015.

This and other updates are included in the Third Annual Report on Regulatory Reform, released today. The report provides public accountability for the Province’s commitment to drive economic growth by reducing government red tape and regulatory burdens for citizens and businesses.

The primary goal of the Province’s regulatory reform is to make sure that every regulatory requirement in British Columbia is needed, is meaningful and serves a purpose. It means getting rid of burdensome forms, simplifying complex processes and providing clearer information. By eliminating needless red tape, the Province is reducing time and cost for those who need government services.

Highlights of the 2013 report include:

• The B.C. government has reduced red tape by over 42 per cent since 2001.
• A number of key measures have been put in place, such as:
  • By ending the requirement to fill in a 23-page application form and cutting down processing time by more than 50%, the Province has improved the application process for families and guardianship workers needing help for children with developmental disabilities.
  • A streamlined adjudication process with simplified submission requirements and reduced processing bottlenecks is now in place for the B.C. Arts Council funding programs, improving both client service and overall efficiency. As a result, the program has done away with nearly 97% of the paperwork burden associated with adjudication packages - reducing the time to assemble the packages by over 40%, so applicants receive decisions sooner.
  • The Province plans to completely re-write the Liquor Control and Licensing Act by the spring of 2015. Meanwhile, government is using a phased-in approach to modernizing the legislation, with immediate implementation of 15 of the 73 recommendations found in the B.C. Liquor Policy Review.
• Streamlining regulatory change and increased attention for the authorization backlog on Natural Resource Sector Notice of Work, which has been reduced by 90% over the past two years, cutting the wait time for approval from an average of 110 days to 58 days.

In 2014/15, a key priority will be to refresh B.C.’s regulatory reform agenda by working collaboratively with the Ministry responsible for Core Review in order to streamline and modernize B.C.’s regulatory environment.

The full report is available to the public at: www.gov.bc.ca/regulatoryreform

Quotes:

Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business -

“Since 2001, our government has done an excellent job of reducing red tape and as a result, we are considered a global leader in regulatory reform. In fact, jurisdictions including Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Australia, and Mexico have looked to us for advice and guidance. This year’s report is another great indicator of our continuing success.” 

Laura Jones, executive vice-president, Canadian Federation of Independent Business -

“Reducing red tape has been critical to B.C.’s prosperity over the past decade. The government’s on-going commitment is not just commendable it is critical to B.C.’s future.  Small business is counting on it!”

Media Contacts:

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