The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is calling on government to implement cost relief measures for small businesses in this sitting of the House of Assembly.

A recent survey by the CFIB shows that nine in 10 small businesses in the province identify their top concern as the cost of doing business, followed by taxes and labour policies.

The CFIB say business owners in Newfoundland and Labrador are burdened with the highest retail sales tax on insurance at 15 per cent, while their counterparts in other Atlantic provinces do not have to pay such a tax.

They say government should permanently remove the 15 per cent retail sales tax on all insurance premiums paid by small businesses, and increase the small business tax threshold while lowering the tax rate itself.