The B.C. government is the first Canadian jurisdiction to release an annual report on regulatory reform.
The Regulatory Reporting Act, passed in November 2011, requires government to release an annual report on its regulatory reform activities and make it public no later than June 30 following the end of its fiscal year.
In a statement, Laura Jones, executive vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, welcomed the report.
“The B.C. government continues to be a leader in regulatory reform that supports the entrepreneurs and businesses that drive our economy,” she said.
The report found that, as of March 31, B.C. had 228,941 regulatory requirements – a 42.8% reduction from the 2011 count of 360,295.
The report tracks the province’s progress on eliminating red tape, including:
- reducing the processing time for notice of work applications needed in the mineral exploration sector to 84 days as of April 30, down from 110 days;
- reducing a backlog in Crown land tenure applications by 18% from 2011 levels as of April 30, 2012, on track to reduce the 2011 backlog by 50% by the end of 2012;
- establishing an Expert Panel on Business Taxation to provide recommendations on tax competitiveness and administrative improvements to streamline the PST; and
- launching a BC Justice Reform Initiative to identify ways British Columbians can receive more timely and effective justice services, with a report expected this month.
