Former head of the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), Jean St-Gelais, is to co-chair a new committee focused on reducing the regulatory burden on businesses in Quebec.
Québec’s Minister of Finance and the Economy, Nicolas Marceau, Thursday announced the creation of a committee to monitor the implementation of a recent report’s 63 recommendations that are intended to help reduce red tape.
The committee is to be co-chaired by St-Gelais, who is now secretary general of the Conseil exécutif, and Martine Hébert, vice-president Quebec, of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
The committee will be mandated to monitor implementation of the recommendations of the report, and, if necessary, propose corrective measures. It will also suggest ways to make the public, particularly the business community, aware of the results achieved; and, it will have to report annually to the Conseil des ministres on that progress.
The report includes recommendations designed to: regulate better; reduce the cost of red tape by 20%; simplify online administration, tax administration, and compliance with environmental requirements, among other things; and, make it easier to start a business.
“The government is determined to create an environment even more conducive to the development of businesses. It is a question of competitiveness. Although regulations are essential, it is important to ensure that it not unduly hinder investment and job creation,” said Marceau. “The establishment of this committee is therefore part of the government’s ongoing efforts to reduce the regulatory and administrative burden on businesses.”