The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is pleased to announce the second annual Red Tape Awareness Week will occur from January 10 to 14, 2011. CFIB is dedicating the week to raise public awareness about the negative impact of excessive regulation on small business and citizens alike and pressure politicians across the country to take action.
CFIB has long championed regulatory reform and estimates the burden of red tape costs Canadian businesses a staggering $30 billion each year in compliance costs alone. Over the course of Red Tape Awareness Week, CFIB will be conducting series of special initiatives to draw attention to the issue and encourage entrepreneurs across Canada to advocate for change, including:
· Red Tape Diaries – a compilation of stories from business owners across the country about their frustrating experiences in trying to deal with the confusing array of government rules and regulations
· 2010 Red Tape Report Card – a review of the regulatory reform efforts by Canada’s federal and provincial governments, complete with final grades for 2010
· CRA evaluation – Canada Revenue Agency customer service review
As part of the Red Tape Diaries, CFIB is asking small business owners to share their own frustrating experiences by posting stories and comments on CFIB’s Facebook page. Throughout the week, CFIB spokespeople will also be using Twitter to circulate information, insights, and updates about the week’s events and the impact of excessive regulation on small and medium-sized enterprise.
“Red tape is like death by a thousand paper cuts, leaving far too many entrepreneurs feeling stressed out and frustrated,” explained Laura Jones, CFIB’s Vice-President of Western Canada, and one of Canada’s foremost experts on regulatory reform. “Red Tape Awareness Week is all about creating hope for business owners that the problem can be fixed, allowing them to shift their focus back to where it should be – building their businesses, creating jobs, and improving the economy.”
