January 23, 2017
Province Commits to New Legislation That Would Reduce Red Tape; Be First of its Kind Among Provinces
The Manitoba government is marking the beginning of Red Tape Awareness Week by making a commitment to introduce new legislation that would reduce the burden of regulatory requirements, Deputy Premier Heather Stefanson announced today.
“Our government is committed to reducing unnecessary barriers for businesses, local governments, non-profit organizations and all Manitobans. Proclaiming Red Tape Awareness Week is evidence of our recognition of the burdens posed by the status quo,” said Stefanson. “We want to make sure we remove unnecessary administrative burdens so Manitobans can access the services they need in order to make important contributions to their businesses and communities without the frustration of long waits or confusing instructions.”
New, proposed regulatory accountability legislation would require government to remove a regulatory requirement with a similar administrative burden every time a new requirement is put in place, Stefanson said. This one-for-one rule would cap the growth of regulatory requirements, she noted, adding a stricter two-for-one rule would be enforced until 2021.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has advocated for many years that provinces adopt policies that reduce red tape for small businesses, the deputy premier noted.
“We’re delighted to see the Manitoba government make this landmark announcement and become the first province to commit to legislate a one-for-one law,” said Laura Jones, executive vice-president and chief strategic officer, CFIB. “There is nothing better than seeing a province go from a laggard to a leader on reducing red tape. Manitoba is now the province to watch on regulatory accountability.”
The proposed legislation would also allow government to better track regulatory requirements, redesign approval and review processes to provide additional transparency and require more detailed analysis before regulations are put in place, the deputy premier said.
“People across the province have told us that red tape prevents them from growing their businesses,” said Stefanson. “Our government is committed to making Manitoba the most improved province for regulatory requirements by 2020.”
The proposed legislation will be introduced in the spring, she added.
- 30 -