Nova Scotia has had the biggest dive in business optimism of any province in April. The Business Barometer Index® for the province now stands at 53.8 – the lowest in the country, and a full 12 points below February’s high of 65.3. The number of owners reporting the health of their business as ‘good’ has also dropped – from 36 per cent in March to just 27 per cent in April, while 18 percent indicate business is ‘bad.’
Halifax Regional Municipality recently announced a proposal to link commercial tax rates to GDP. While we appreciate HRM's acknowledgement of the property tax burden small business located within its boundaries have to shoulder, this proposal will only make the commercial tax burden more unfair than it is already.
CFIB is a strong advocate of workplace safety and we recognize the critical role employers play in creating a safe environment. We also know that when employers fail to comply with OHS laws, it is generally the result of a lack of knowledge, not willful misconduct. We have been invited to share our feedback to the Administrative Penalty Review board.
While CFIB supports the goal of protecting the health and safety of Nova Scotians by making it more difficult to sell stolen scrap metal, we’re concerned about the amount of paperwork and red tape the proposed regulations would add to the industry.
