May 23, 2017: The Mississauga Board of Trade (MBOT) is very encouraged by Friday’s announcement on burden reduction by the Government of Ontario.  Cutting red tape for business has been a key component of our advocacy work and we are pleased to see government make meaningful change to reduce the regulatory burden on small business.

The one-window service concept will help save businesses time and money. This approach is something the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has advocated for in their report Obstacles and Opportunities, which was the culmination of the work during the Small Business Too Big to Ignore campaign of which MBOT members played a major role. The small business procurement policy is also very encouraging, and we ask the government to consider how they can expand this opportunity for small businesses across the province.

We are pleased to see Ontario adopt the $1 in $1.25 out provision, which will apply to new administrative costs. This is a best practice internationally and will keep the regulatory burden on business in check. We would certainly encourage this government to consider how they can bring costs down for business more broadly, outside of administrative fees.

“In our consultations last fall with MBOT members, they told use red tape and administrative burdens hurt their business.  Good to see the Provincial Government recognize this and act,” said David Wojcik, President & CEO, MBOT.

All of these changes will have meaningful and positive impacts on Ontario’s business community, and especially among small businesses. But to keep Ontario competitive, we need to ensure that any impending changes to the Labour Relations Act and Employment Standards Act are evidence based and fully costed.