Sask. government claims 10 years of 'red tape reduction' saved businesses $680M
The Saskatchewan Legislative Building can be seen in this file photo. (David Prisciak/CTV News)
The Government of Saskatchewan is touting its red tape reduction committee has saved businesses in the province more than $680 million in the past decade.
The province recognized the committee’s 10 year milestone on Tuesday. Saskatchewan remains the only provincial government with a dedicated cabinet committee focused on reducing red tape and leading regulatory reviews.
“This demonstrates our government's commitment to cutting red tape and eliminating unnecessary compliance requirements for businesses and residents, streamlining approval processes, and reducing barriers across government," committee chair and MLA Laura Ross said in a news release.
In the past decade, the committee reported cumulative red tape savings of $682.41 million, the review of 249 business related regulations and 21,046 compliance regulations.
“This is a testament to Saskatchewan's strategic leadership, as government and organizations work in parallel to improve the lives of citizens and enhance Saskatchewan's economic landscape,” the government’s statement read.
The province reiterated the committee’s goal in its announcement — to identify and address inefficiencies across government agencies, monitor the costs and savings associated with regulation changes and to develop solutions to help Saskatchewan’s economic competiveness.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) gave Saskatchewan a grade of 7.8 or "B" on its most recent red tape report card — a "good" grade according to the CFIB.
The province lost marks by not having its rules and policies downloadable in a simple data format.
Compared to other provinces, Saskatchewan ranked seventh in overall score. Alberta ranked the highest in the nation with a score of 8.8 or "A-minus."
The CFIB represents over 97,000 businesses from across Canada.
CTV News reached out to the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce for comment on the province’s red tape reduction efforts but did not hear back by the time of publishing.
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