The provincial Tories have set their sights on red tape and the taxman as part of its strategy to make life easier, cheaper and more efficient for local businesses.
Opposition Leader Tony Wakeham unveiled the plan yesterday, this being Small Business Week in the country.
It pledges to reduce and reform the payroll tax, a sweeping review of all taxes and fees charged by the province, and slicing through any red tape that holds up a business opportunity.
To that end, Wakeham floated the idea of a business navigator office to keep proponents apprised of the status of their application or permit.
“So that would have extended hours so that businesses would have a place to go to say, ‘hey, I’ve applied for a permit, and I haven’t heard a word on it, what can you do to find that for me,’ and let them find out the status,” Wakeham explained.
“Oftentimes applications are submitted and they’re sitting there, businesses are waiting, wondering where’s it to, what’s going on? They can’t get hold of anyone—we’ve all experienced that with government, the challenge of actually talking to somebody to find out the status of a permit or application.”