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Province gets D-minus for small-business red tape: report

By: by Murray McNeill

Posted: 01/22/2013 10:27 AM | Comments: 0

The Manitoba government is getting better at reducing bureaucratic red tape for small businesses, but it’s performance is still nothing to write home about, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

In its 2013 Red Tape Report Card released today, the small-business group gives the province a D-minus for its efforts to reform the regulatory burden on small businesses. That’s an upgrade from the F it received in each of the previous two years.

"To date Manitoba has focused mainly on service delivery improvements, like making more information and reporting available online," said Janine Carmichael, CFIB’s Manitoba director. "Those are certainly important steps forward. However, this Red Tape Report Card is grading regulatory accountability. That’s where Manitoba is at the back of the pack."

The federation gave British Columbia the highest approval rating — an A — while Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories and Yukon were all ranked at the bottom with D-minus grades.

The federal government showed the biggest improvement, the group said, earning a B-plus grade.

The CFIB released its Red Tape Report Card as part of its fourth annual Red Tape Awareness Week activities.

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca

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