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.

For More Information

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].

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