Message From Rick Thorpe
Minister of Small
Business and Revenue and Minister Responsible for Regulatory Reform
August 2006
British Columbia continues to make
regulatory reform a priority across government, making it easier for
businesses to operate and succeed in British Columbia, while still
preserving regulations that protect public health, safety and the
environment.
Regulatory reform is working in
British Columbia, and the positive effects are reflected in many
economic indicators:
-
British Columbias unemployment rate
fell to a new 30-year low of 4.3 per cent in June. British
Columbia has created almost 300,000 new jobs since December
2001.
-
According to BMO Capital Markets,
British Columbia has led the country in employment growth for
the past two years, resulting in the highest average weekly
earnings increase in the country.
-
British
Columbias economic upswing
brought a 2.5 per cent increase in average real personal
disposable income, according to the Business Council of BC
representing one of the biggest jumps in disposable income in
two decades.
Between 2001 and 2004 we successfully
reduced the total number of regulatory requirements across
government. I am pleased to announce that British Columbia
continues to exceed its goal of a zero net increase in regulatory
requirements. To date, this government has achieved a 41.06 per
cent reduction totalling 156,891 requirements.
We are building on our success with
the implementation of the new cross-government, citizen-centred
approach to regulatory reform. Ministries and agencies across
government are developing projects that focus specifically on saving
time from the perspective of citizens, business and industry
whether they are accessing government services and programs or
complying with government requirements.
We want citizens, small businesses and industry to spend less time
dealing with government and more time on whats really important
making their businesses successful and achieving our goal to create
more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.
Rick Thorpe
Minister Responsible for Regulatory Reform
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