Canada Announces Red Tape Commission

by Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com, Washington

18 January 2011

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced the creation of the Red Tape Reduction Commission, which will work to reduce the burden of federal regulatory requirements on Canadian enterprises, especially small- and medium-sized businesses.

“Small and medium-sized businesses are a critical driver of the Canadian economy,” Harper explained. “This initiative will help ensure that they can grow, prosper and create jobs without being impeded by unnecessary government regulations.”

The Red Tape Reduction Commission is to be chaired by Rob Moore, Minister for State with responsibility for Small Businesses and Tourism. It will consult with Canadians and Canadian businesses to identify irritants that have a clear detrimental effect on growth, competitiveness and innovation. The Commission will also look at the cost associated with federal regulatory requirements that businesses face, and provide advice on permanent solutions for reducing the overall compliance burden.

“Canadian businesses spend billions of dollars each year adhering to regulations. We need to look at where and how we can reduce these costs and this red-tape burden, especially on small businesses,” Harper added.

As part of its ongoing work, the Commission will hold consultations during a series of round tables later in January. An online consultation process will also take place before the Commission issues its recommendations to the government in autumn 2011.

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