CANADA – The Canadian Chamber of Commerce issued the following statement in advance of next week’s federal budget.
“Canadian competitiveness is eroding across the board and our membership—which includes thousands of small- and medium-sized businesses across the country—is deeply concerned.
“We regularly hear from businesses that the rising cost of running a business in Canada and the uncertainty caused by potential changes to the tax system are having a negative impact on their ability to grow, to create jobs, and to compete for investment and customers at home and abroad.
“The Canadian Chamber looks forward to next week’s federal budget to see what concrete steps the government will take to address these concerns.
“We have recommended a number of measures that will help to make Canada a more competitive, and attractive, country for businesses in our recent 10 Ways to Build a Canada that Wins document. These include measures that would improve regulatory efficiency, provide greater alignment between federal, provincial and territorial regulations, and that would incent regulators to take the economic and business impacts of their decisions into account.
“Similarly, as our trade partners and competitors take steps to reduce taxes on job creators, Canada is moving in the opposite direction with rising taxes and fiscal instability. We continue to encourage the government to commit to a comprehensive review of Canada’s tax system to make it more competitive for people looking to start or grow a business in this country.
“The Canadian Chamber will also look for a concrete and responsible plan to balance the budget. We will oppose spending money today and sending the bills to our children.
“Measures designed to encourage more women to engage in the workforce, start businesses, and play an increasingly active role in our economy will be welcome.
“Budget 2018 presents the federal government with an important opportunity to share its plans for creating the conditions that will allow Canadian businesses to grow and contribute to a more prosperous economy for all Canadians. The business community remains ready to work with the government to make sure that, collectively, we take the right steps to achieve this.”
The chamber document can be downloaded at 10 Ways to Build a Canada that Wins.
