Visit Ontario.ca/RedTapeChallenge to Share Your Feedback by September 30

Ontario is asking businesses and the public to help identify and improve regulations that are unclear, outdated, redundant or unnecessarily costly for the food processing sector.

Feedback can be provided online by visiting Ontario.ca/RedTapeChallenge, a crowd-sourced platform that gives businesses and other interested Ontarians the chance to review current regulations and suggest improvements. The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2016.

Comments received will help lessen compliance burdens, shorten response times and make it simpler for businesses to interact with government, without jeopardizing essential health and safety standards.

Ontario has some of the most stringent food safety standards in North America, and the government is committed to maintaining and strengthening these standards through robust, efficient regulations that protect public health as well as enhance the competitiveness of the province’s food processing sector.

The Red Tape Challenge is part of Ontario’s five-year, $400 million Business Growth Initiative, which is helping to grow the economy and create jobs by promoting an innovation-based economy, helping small companies to scale up and modernizing regulations for businesses.

Reducing regulatory burden is part of the government’s economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and transit in Ontario’s history and is investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.

QUICK FACTS

• The food processing, beverage and tobacco industry contributed 2 per cent ($12.1 billion) in GDP to Ontario’s economy in 2015.
• A consultation on the auto parts manufacturing sector was completed in June 2016 with almost 200 high quality submissions. The final plan for this sector will be available this November. Future rounds of consultations will focus on financial services, mining, chemical manufacturing and forestry.
• The Red Tape Challenge is part of the province’s Open Government commitment to create a more transparent, accessible and collaborative government for the people of Ontario.
• Ontario’s 2016 Burden Reduction Report highlighted significant progress, featuring 26 initiatives across government and identified that the government’s burden reduction efforts have saved businesses a total of $122 million since 2011, surpassing the province’s goal to save businesses $100 million by 2017.
• In recognition of the province’s efforts to reduce red tape, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) awarded the province a B+ grade — the second highest grade in Canada — as part of its annual Red Tape Awareness Week.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Visit the Red Tape Challenge

CONTACTS

Alex Mather
Minister Duguid’s Office
alex.mather@ontario.ca

Andreas Kyprianou
Communications Branch
416-325-2479
andreas.kyprianou@ontario.ca

Ministry of Economic Development and Growth
http://ontario.ca/economy