Alberta red tape report shows $479 million in savings

CALGARY — Albertans have saved more than $479 million thanks to red tape reduction efforts, initial government reports show.

According to the province’s first annual red tape reduction report, which highlights progress made towards the goal of cutting red tape by one-third, government cut more than six per cent of red tape.

“Earlier this year the CFIB recognized the Alberta government’s quick action to reduce red tape with a B- on our annual Red Tape Report Card,” said Laura Jones, vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business in a statement. “The Report Card also acknowledged the government had not developed its comprehensive measure of the regulatory burden in Alberta. We are pleased to see the government correct that by counting its regulatory burden and making that count public.”

The report explained how the province established its baseline count of regulations, forms, statutes and policies. According to the report, Alberta’s government has counted 670,977 requirements.

Ongoing red tape reduction efforts are being driven by advice from key leaders in Alberta through panels that include the construction industry, forestry, energy and more.