Ontario Government’s red tape reduction initiative an important step

CME calls for more to be done to improve manufacturers’ competitiveness

Toronto, ON – OCTOBER 28, 2019

Toronto, ON – Today, the Ontario Government announced its fall red tape reduction bill entitled, The Better for People, Smart for Business Act, 2019. Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) considers this legislation  a positive step to reduce red tape for manufacturers. However, more must be done to increase Ontario manufacturer’s productivity and competitiveness.

“CME is pleased that these proposed measures will make it easier for manufacturers to obtain approvals and access information relevant to their operations,” said Dennis Darby, President and CEO of CME.

The association recognizes that these are important steps to reduce the duplicative regulatory burden on manufacturers trying to compete at home and abroad.

“However, there remains more work to help Ontario become a country-leading jurisdiction for manufacturing productivity and competitiveness again. These regulations are large challenges to overcome if Ontario manufacturers are to reach the goal of doubling Ontario manufacturing output to $600 billion per year by 2030,” Darby said.

In CME’s Industrie 2030 Ontario strategy, Ontario manufacturers identified regulatory burdens as a significant impediment to investment in the province, resulting in cancelled investments and increased operating costs. These regulations remain in place today.

Manufacturing is vital to Ontario’s economy and to the prosperity of all Ontarians. The numbers speak for themselves: the sector directly accounts for more than 12 per cent of provincial GDP, generates more than $300 billion in annual output, and accounts for more than 80 per cent of Ontario’s exports.

“CME encourages the government to focus on creating more manufacturing jobs and growing the sector by lowering hydro prices, providing incentives to adopt new technologies, and conducting a wholesale review of industrial property tax rules,” Darby said.

 

ABOUT CME

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) advocates for and represents 2,500 leading manufacturers that operate across Canada. Manufacturing moves Canada and is the engine of the economy. Canadian manufacturers collectively employ 1.7 million Canadians and is responsible for two-thirds of Canada’s export sales. The sector is growing rapidly. In 2018, the sector reached a new all-time high of $685 billion in sales. CME advocates policies that will allow Canadian manufacturers to compete effectively in the global economy.

For more information, please call

Stefi Proulx
Director of Communications
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters
C:  613-292-6070 | stefi.proulx@cme-mec.ca | @CME_MEC