By Coralee Oakes
March 2 marked the first-ever Red Tape Reduction Day in British Columbia.
It was a day to reflect on some of the ways we can make things easier by reducing red tape.
To celebrate Red Tape Reduction Day, we are repealing 37 provincial outdated and unnecessary regulations. Some regulations are out-of-date – like leave for reservists during the 2010 Olympics – while others can be streamlined – like removing parental consent for Canadian Armed Forces members under 19 years of age who are applying for BCID cards.
Repealing these 37 items removes more than 200 provincial requirements.
Some of the changes make processes easier. For example, we are replacing the need for sworn statements in more than 20 instances with simple signed statements.
Now, parents who want to enrol their children in a francophone school no longer have to go through the hassle of getting a sworn statement. They can simply sign the form.
A business owner who needs to finalize financial reporting will no longer have to get a sworn statement to complete some applications.
These changes reduce costs, delays and inconveniences for citizens.
Our goal is to make provincial services easier to access and simpler to use. That’s why as part of Red Tape Reduction Day, we released our report on the public engagement we held this fall.
We asked British Columbians for their ideas to reduce red tape and received more than 400 ideas from citizens, businesses and stakeholder groups. People shared their frustrations and their simple fixes to help cut red tape.
We listened, and we’re taking action to improve service delivery.
For example, Becky in the Cariboo wanted it to be easier to access services at ICBC. We heard her and we’re exploring possible options with ICBC to allow customers to renew their insurance online through their brokers.
Plus, ICBC has launched a new online tool which allows customers to request their driving records online and receive them immediately by e-mail. This is part of ICBC’s work to make day-to-day interactions easier.
I encourage people to check out the full report on the Reducing Red Tape for British Columbians website. We’re focusing on three main goals: putting you first; making services accessible; and improving our processes.
It’s a great way to see the ideas people shared and our progress to make service delivery easier to access and simpler to use.
To continue the conversation started through the engagement, the province will be partnering with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business as part of its Small Business Roundtable regional consultations.
In addition, there’s now a way to share your idea to reduce red tape all year round. Just head right to the B.C. government’s homepage and click on the suggestion button.
We believe British Columbians are the experts when it comes to cutting red tape – so keep those ideas coming.
Coralee Oakes is the Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction.
