Ontario announces reduction of red tape to try and improve manufacturing competitiveness

TORONTO — On Nov. 23, the Ontario government introduced the Less Red Tape, Stronger Ontario Act which, if passed, would implement measures to try and increase Ontario’s competitiveness, strengthen provincial supply chains, and make government services easier to access and interact with.

“Our government is focused on making Ontario better for people and businesses by removing unnecessary, redundant, and outdated regulations that hold us back,” said Parm Gill, Minister of Red Tape Reduction. “With this fall’s Red Tape Reduction Package, we are taking actions to enable people to thrive and businesses to prosper.”

Ontario’s Fall 2022 Red Tape Reduction Package includes 28 initiatives that would try and address the food supply chain from farm to fork, support Ontario’s farmers, food processors and agri-businesses, and attract and grow a stronger labour force.

Highlights of the package include:

• The Grow Ontario Strategy to increase production and consumption of food grown in the province by adopting new and innovative technologies.
• Removing legislative barriers to support greater investment in clean and emission reducing technologies.
• Providing more data and tools to municipalities to determine optimal Reduced Load Periods on roadways and improve supply chain efficiency.
• Increasing court capacity and efficiency to improve service, including the introduction of digital jury questionaries.
• Modernizing the Veterinarians Act, including identifying opportunities to streamline requirements or reduce compliance burden for vets and practice owners.

“Ontario’s agri-food sector has and always will be a cornerstone of the provincial economy and we need to invest in the supply chain, enable innovation and research, and grow the labour force,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “The introduction of this fall’s Red Tape Reduction Package includes concrete actions that will benefit farmers, processors and agri-businesses while outlining our government’s vision and goals for the province’s agri-food sector through the Grow Ontario Strategy.”