Toronto – The premiers of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island have launched a project aimed at reducing red tape for business owners and making it easier for businesses to operate in all three provinces.
As these provinces co-operate to harmonize regulations, it will position the Maritime region for higher growth, Restaurants Canada said in a news release.
“This initiative is a step forward for the restaurant and foodservice industry, and opens the door to investment and job creation,” said Luc Erjavec, Restaurants Canada’s Atlantic vice-president, in the release. “We welcome the way these premiers are showing leadership by working together for the benefit of small business.”
The provinces have committed to make regulation a last resort, to measure the costs of any regulation, and to consult with stakeholders throughout the process, the association said. Progress will be monitored by an annual public report.
In the early stages of the program, the three provinces will use the same documents, where possible; harmonize employment records, or at least recognize similar records; and make future changes to minimum wages on the same day, April 1 (although they won’t necessarily harmonize wages).
“Some of these changes may seem small, but they’ll make a big difference to businesses operating in two or more provinces,” Erjavec said. “We look forward to seeing even more reforms as the project expands.”
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