The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has lauded the Prince Edward Island government’s decision to pass the Interprovincial Trade and Mobility Act (Bill No. 15) as a “significant legislative achievement.”
The legislation’s passage will help remove the province’s barriers to interprovincial trade with Canada’s other jurisdictions that have imposed similar measures, according to a media release from the business association.
“The passage of this important legislation is a win for small and medium-sized businesses across Prince Edward Island,” said Frederic Gionet, the CFIB’s director of legislative affairs for PEI-Atlantic, in the media release.
The CFIB shared that the new Interprovincial Trade and Mobility Act seeks to:
- reduce bureaucratic obstacles
- improve labour mobility
- remove the requirement for goods and services approved in Canadian jurisdictions to undergo further testing or certification upon entry to PEI
- make it easier for those licensed or certified in reciprocating jurisdictions to practise their profession on PEI
“By recognizing standards for goods and services of reciprocating jurisdictions, the PEI government is paving the way for reduced costs, increased efficiency, and greater economic opportunities for local businesses,” Gionet said in the media release. “This is precisely the kind of proactive, business-friendly policy that CFIB has been advocating for.”
CFIB survey
According to the CFIB, among small businesses responding to its recent survey:
- almost 90 percent urged governments to prioritize eliminating internal trade obstacles
- 87 percent thought that food produced in provincially or territorially licensed or inspected facilities should be capable of being sold in all Canadian jurisdictions
- 50 percent believed that internal trade barriers negatively impacted production and expansion
“We commend the provincial government for listening to the concerns of entrepreneurs and taking tangible steps to dismantle unnecessary trade barriers,” Gionet said in the CFIB’s media release.
“This legislation not only simplifies doing business but also strengthens PEI’s economic integration with the rest of Canada, fostering a more competitive and vibrant business environment,” Gionet added in the media release. “It is an important first step.”
In its media release, the CFIB said it plans to keep working together with Canada’s provincial governments to help remove further interprovincial trade obstacles and boost economic opportunities across the country.