Province and partners making progress addressing red tape

The Government of Prince Edward Island is working successfully with industry partners to reduce red tape and make it easier for them to do business with government.
Economic Development and Tourism Minister Heath MacDonald said one of those initiatives has been the Project ART (Addressing Red Tape) Sector Roundtables which bring industry and government together to identify, understand, and address unnecessary regulatory burdens.
“Our Government remains committed to working closely with industry to reduce red tape, align regulations with other jurisdictions, and ensure conditions are optimal for business success,” said Minister MacDonald. “We are pleased to work with the restaurant and foodservice industry on several initiatives, and we will continue to support small and medium sized enterprises, such as restaurants to promote economic growth on Prince Edward Island.”
Project ART called on Restaurants Canada (RC), and the PEI Restaurant and Foodservices Association (PEIRFSA) to submit barriers that members were experiencing when engaging with the provincial government. The Province, Restaurants Canada, and the PEI Restaurant and Foodservices Association then identified three issues to be resolved within 60 calendar days.
“The Restaurant Sector Roundtable is a great example of how government and industry can collaborate to identify priorities, streamline processes and develop timely and feasible solutions to red tape,” said Luc Erjavec, Vice President, Atlantic for Restaurants Canada. “I commend the Prince Edward Island government for their leadership on this initiative and look forward to seeing more regulatory burdens eliminated for this vital industry.”
Staff of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism and the Department of Finance, as well as, the PEI Liquor Control Commission (PEILCC), have worked collaboratively to resolve the following sector irritants in close consultation with the restaurant and foodservice industry. To resolve these irritants, Government responded by:
• Creating a feature on the government website which allows industry to apply and pay for licenses on-line with the ability to set email renewal reminders as well;
• Developing a policy that would allow Dining Room Licensees to provide limited entertainment such as acoustic background music to enhance the consumer experience; and
• Making amendments to the PEILCC to allow licensees to have no restrictions as to what they may charge patrons, so long as the price is at least 5% more than the cost to purchase the product at a PEILCC outlet.
In 2013, the Government of Prince Edward Island made a commitment to address the concerns of the public, industry, and stakeholders as it pertains to regulatory burden, commonly referred to as red tape. This government-wide initiative will look to create a streamlined and modern regulatory environment that allows citizens and businesses to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Media contact:
Lucas MacArthur
LUJMACARTHUR@gov.pe.ca
Economic Development and Tourism
902-393-7403