Red Tape Reduction Task Force
Premier Alison Redford appointed the Red Tape Reduction Task Force on December 2, 2011. It will work with small business leaders and associations from across Alberta during December and January to receive input about improving the regulatory environment in which small business operates. The task force will provide a final report based on that input.
The final report will be ready before the end of March 2012. It will have recommendations on actions for government to take.
Purpose
- Assess the quality of business regulation in Alberta (compared with other jurisdictions) with a specific focus on small business.
- Undertake a consultative process to better identify key regulatory challenges and review how those requirements are administered in order to make recommendations that can address the regulatory burden on small businesses. The focus should be on irritants that have a clear detrimental effect on growth, competitiveness and innovation.
- Make recommendations for Alberta's regulatory processes to improve quality and address issues of "red tape" burden from provincial requirements on an on-going basis while ensuring the protection of the environment, and the health and safety of Albertans.
Most businesses are small
About 96 per cent of them in Alberta. They employ over 1/3 of all private sector workers and provide goods and services across every industry. They play a key role in our economic growth.
Alberta's the place to invest
The Fraser Institute has ranked Alberta as the #1 province in which to invest. It also ranked Alberta as having the 2nd lowest burden of regulation as a percentage of GDP, and 1st in having the most efficient labour market regulation.
Change is underway
The Regulatory Review Secretariat has been overseeing the review of provincial regulations since 1999. And impacts on stakeholders, especially cost, must be considered when regulations are developed or reviewed.
