The national organization that advocates for small businesses is highlighting the need to reduce red tape during its annual awareness campaign this week.

A CFIB survey finds nine out of ten businesses say it’s important for government to reduce red tape but 75 per cent respondents aren’t confident governments are committed to doing it.

Spokesperson Annie Dormuth explains the cost of unnecessary red tape accumulates for independent businesses.  She notes it totals up to 11 billion of the 39 billion cost of regulations.  She says that cost goes mostly to business owners time navigating government forms from permitting purposes to requiring a business license to filling out forms for example to get a liquor license and all of that goes again to taking about red tape reduction.

The CFIB has given the Manitoba government an “A” on its red tape report card.