January 24, 2019
Province to Reduce Regulatory Burdens on Retailers and Manufacturers
The provincial government will eliminate regulatory requirements that duplicate federal rules and create unnecessary burdens on textile and furniture manufacturers as part of its commitment to reducing red tape, Justice Minister Cliff Cullen announced today.
“Manitoba’s regulation on bedding, textiles, furniture and other items is increasingly seen as a duplication of federal requirements, with no added value or protections for public health or safety,” said Cullen. “We will work with the industry and stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition throughout the process, with the goal of the repeal being in place by 2020.”
Repealing the Bedding and Other Upholstered or Stuffed Articles regulation made under The Public Health Act will eliminate approximately 240 regulatory requirements and reduce red tape, costs and administrative burdens, the minister said. The effective date of the repeal would be Jan. 1, 2020.
“Repealing the regulation will support Manitoba’s commitment to improve regulatory efficiency, better align regulations across jurisdictions, and remove technical barriers to trade to meet our obligations under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement,” said Cullen, noting the regulation is currently the responsibility of Manitoba’s Consumer Protection Office. “This will not lessen consumer protection, but instead encourage retailers and manufacturers to expand their businesses to grow and invest in Manitoba.”
The ministers noted consumers would continue to be protected through federal health, safety, and labelling requirements under The Canada Consumer Product Safety Act and The Textile Labelling Act, as is the case in most other provinces.
“Retailers value the efforts of the Manitoba government to knock down provincial trade barriers and attack costly red tape, to the benefit of Manitoba consumers and impacted businesses,” said John Graham, director of government relations, Retail Council of Canada. “Through the elimination of this regulation, retailers will no longer have to isolate Manitoba from their national approach to product safety, which is already well addressed by federal regulation.”
This announcement is taking place during Red Tape Awareness Week, which runs from Jan. 21 to 25. The purpose of the week is to draw attention to the costs associated with red tape and excessive regulations and to highlight governmental efforts in this area.
For more information on red tape reduction in Manitoba, visit www.gov.mb.ca/reduceredtape/.
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