Ever heard of BizPaL? If not, this could be why
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BizPaL in Review
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BizPaL in Review
Halifax, October 25, 2011 - Nearly five years since it was introduced in Nova Scotia, a new report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) shows that BizPaL - an online source for business permit and licence information - is not working well in many municipalities.
The report compared the permit and licensing process to open an inn with a food establishment in all 30 Nova Scotia municipalities on BizPaL, as well as eight of the 25 municipalities not using the online tool. It found that permit and licence information at the municipal level is often out-of-date, inaccurate and inconsistent.
"In principle, BizPaL is a great thing. But it's only as useful as its information," said Amelia DeMarco, CFIB's Senior Policy Analyst in Nova Scotia, "Misinformation not only makes the process more costly and time-consuming for business owners, it could also mean that some businesses never open."
Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) fares the worst when it comes to streamlining business permit and licence requirements. The city requires the highest number of permits at some of the highest costs; it's also the only municipality to require a permit for fire or burglar alarm systems. But HRM is not the only municipality with incomplete information, broken web links and hardcopy-only applications. Other municipalities on that list include Wolfville, Lunenburg, Amherst, Kentville, New Glasgow, Westville and the District of East Hants.
By contrast, Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) requires only three permits, all of which are available online and linked to BizPaL. The municipality has further simplified the process by offering one application for all three municipal permits. Other municipalities that provide comprehensive information on BizPaL, offer downloadable applications and require only one application for multiple permits include Annapolis Royal, Bridgetown and Middleton.
"CBRM is leading by example," said DeMarco, adding that "starting or growing a business is a tough job. To make this job easier, BizPaL must offer up-to-date, accurate information for all levels of government. Otherwise, it risks becoming irrelevant."
For further information contact Amelia DeMarco at 902 420-1997.
