Media Release
Reducing Red Tape Fundamental to a Stronger Ontario
December 6, 2018(Toronto, December 6, 2018) – Today, Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) released the following statement in response to the Government of Ontario’s newly proposed legislation, Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2018, announced by the Honourable Todd Smith, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade this afternoon.
“Today’s proposed legislation is a fundamental step toward easing the strain on businesses and creating a more efficient, flexible, and easy to navigate regulatory regime. As the voice of our 60,000 members in 135 communities across Ontario, we applaud the government for holding to its commitment to cut unproductive red tape.
“With over 380,000 regulations, Ontario is currently the most regulated province in Canada — a burden which continues to limit Ontario’s competitiveness and economic prosperity every single day. As our economy evolves, so too must the regulatory environment.
“The OCC is pleased to see the Government of Ontario’s decision to allow for fair and open tendering. For too long, municipalities and public entities were burdened by a procurement process which hindered economic development and innovation. By permitting open tendering, the government is allowing for a system that operates more efficiently, fosters economic growth through greater competition among suppliers and allows municipalities the ability to maximize their infrastructure investments.
“We are also encouraged by provisions that will reduce paperwork within the agriculture industry and remove barriers to expedite approvals for business investments. The decision to expand the autonomous vehicle pilot is a welcome first step towards eventually formalizing the program, as the OCC recommended in our recent report, Moving Forward: Towards a Strategic Approach to Ontario’s Transportation Needs (Part I).”
| Open Tendering – Hamilton Chamber of Commerce “Closed tendering stifles competition and often results in unnecessarily high infrastructure costs. We have seen these costs reflected in contracts awarded across the City of Hamilton. This legislative change will provide an equal playing field for everyone participating in the tendering process, while also respecting the allocation of hard-earned tax dollars in government procurement.” – Keanin Loomis, President and CEO, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce |
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For more information please contact:
Ceara Copps – Edwards
Communications Advisor
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
647-243-3562
cearacoppsedwards@occ.ca
About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the independent, non-partisan voice of Ontario business. The OCC’s mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen’s Park on behalf of its network’s diverse 60,000 members.