Charlottetown, January 22, 2018 – As the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) launches its ninth annual Red Tape Awareness Week, ongoing efforts by the P.E.I. government are being applauded for their focus on reducing red tape for local businesses.
“It’s rarely the case that one particular regulation is ‘bad’ while others are ‘good’ but rather the challenges small business owners experience from the cumulative burden of paperwork, navigating different levels of government, understanding bureaucratic language, and so on,” said Erin McGrath-Gaudet, CFIB’s director for P.E.I. “That’s why we are always encouraged to see government initiatives that aim to reduce red tape, whether it’s P.E.I.’s Project ART or regional initiatives that we see being led through Joint Office of Regulatory and Service Effectiveness.”
“Our government is committed to reducing regulations that hamper the efforts of Islanders to do business or participate fully in society,” said Chris Palmer, minister of Economic Development and Tourism. “Since Project ART began, we’ve reduced burdens for small and medium-sized businesses including farmers, tourism operators, and food service establishments, and we are training staff to make their workplaces more efficient. We look forward to continued work on this important initiative.”
As part of celebrating Red Tape Awareness Week, CFIB will be handing out Golden Scissors Awards later this week to highlight and celebrate government red tape reduction initiatives that make meaningful improvements for small businesses. The PEI Liquor Control Commission has been recognized as a finalist in this year’s awards for changing their liquor license approval process to allow licenses to be processed much faster.
"The Liquor Control Commission has worked diligently to streamline its licensing process for the benefit of applicants," said Health MacDonald, minister responsible for the commission. "We are proud that these efforts have been recognized by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business."
“There’s often a perception that the only way government can help businesses is through expensive programs,” said McGrath-Gaudet. “The process change made by the PEI Liquor Control Commission is a great illustration of the fact that sometimes relatively simple changes can go a long way to make things easier and faster for businesses.”
To learn more visit CFIB.ca/redtape
For more information, please contact Erin McGrath-Gaudet, (902) 620-4914 or erin.mcgrath-gaudet@cfib.ca.
About CFIB
CFIB is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 109,000 members across every sector and region. Learn more at cfib.ca
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