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Alberta scores top marks for red tape reduction

Alberta maintains A- on Red Tape Report Card
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The Canadian Federation of Independent Business released its 13th annual Red Tape Report Card and gave Alberta the best score. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Alberta scored an A- to beat every province and territory when it comes to red tape reduction, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business 13th annual Red Tape Report Card.

Governments are judged on regulatory accountability, regulatory burden, and political priority.

Five provinces — Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Quebec — received a B+. Saskatchewan got a B, Prince Edward Island had a C-, New Brunswick got a D, and Newfoundland and Labrador received an F.

The federal government earned a C.

Scott Robinson, Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce CEO, said the current government made it a priority to deal with red tape regulations and achieving the best score in the country shows the progress they have made.

“It comes with being intentional about it and committing to it,” Robinson said.

“We’re in a sweet spot right now where we can attract a lot of business. It’s a good place to do business. It’s an efficient place to do business.”

He said regardless of who forms the next provincial government, the focus should be on further red tape reduction and collaborating with small business in particular.

Related:

Alberta Government celebrates red tape reduction efforts

Laura Jones, executive vice-president with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said after years of failing grades Alberta has slowly climbed up the rankings to reach the top spot.

“The government has demonstrated that with strong political leadership, progress can be made to reduce red tape for small businesses and all Albertans. While the government has made significant progress, we further challenge them to make red tape reduction part of the solution in other areas like healthcare and housing affordability,” Jones said.

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Infrastructure Minister Nathan Neudorf said his ministry has surpassed our government’s goal of reducing red tape regulations by one-third, achieving a reduction of 37.3 per cent since June 2019.

“As we have been modernizing our operations, especially through digitalization, we have reduced thousands of redundant or unnecessary steps. We can now accept digital seals and bids from our industry partners, which is increasing efficiency and making sure all parties have a higher-quality experience when working with the government,” Neudorf said in a statement recognizing Red Tape Awareness Week.

He said accessing technical documents is easier and simpler, and work continues on streamlining project delivery contracts to ensure projects are done on time and on budget.

“We’ve also taken a hard look at our technical design standards and removed duplicate requirements, resulting in more than 400 reductions. These reductions make it easier to ensure that our buildings are constructed to the standards Albertans deserve and expect,” Neudorf said.



szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com

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