The Ontario government’s is making it easier for small businesses to grow and prosper by introducing a number of measures, including new legislation to cut unnecessary red tape:
~ Reducing regulatory costs: Requiring all ministries to offset every dollar of new administrative costs to business, by removing $1.25 of old and unnecessary costs.
~ Streamlining compliance for small business: Ensuring that undue burdens aren’t placed on small businesses when new or amended regulations are introduced, while maintaining robust environmental, health and safety requirements and other public interest protections.
~ International or national standards alignment: Increasing harmonization with other jurisdictions and adopting international or national standards, where appropriate, when developing or reviewing regulations.
~Rewarding good actors: Recognizing businesses that have a good compliance record and lowering their costs by reducing the requirements, such as the number of inspections, without compromising the environment health and safety, and other protections.
~ Electronic transmission guarantee: Providing businesses the option to electronically submit any required documentation to the Government of Ontario instead of more costly paper submissions.
~ Government procurement: Introducing a preferred procurement policy for small businesses that would help provide better access to government contracts.
~ One-window service: Developing a new program that would help small businesses access support, information and resources by phone, online and in person.
~ Reducing fees and other costs: Reviewing licence and registration fees paid with a goal of providing relief to small- and medium-sized businesses.
Please note that these measures will be introduced this Fall after further development work, which will include opportunities for stakeholder engagement.
If you have any policy-related questions regarding these initiatives, please contact Julian Portelli, Senior Policy Advisor for the Minister Responsible for Small Business, at [email protected].