“We had heard from our membership that the initial plan would have greatly hurt business growth and prosperity, especially for our small businesses. … We are glad that the government acknowledged our voice and that it is flexible enough to revise policy in accordance with new information.” – Mishka Balsom, President & CEO of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
A Commentary from the Greater Niagara and Canadian Chambers of Commerce
Posted October 23rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large
Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce CEO Mishka Balsom
Niagara, Ontario — The GNCC and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce welcome the government’s plans to revise its proposed tax reforms and to reduce the small business tax rate as a result of the comments and concerns expressed through the national #ProtectGrowth campaign and in consultations.
“We are pleased to see that the Government of Canada has responded positively to the outpouring of feedback from the business community,” said Mishka Balsom, President & CEO of the GNCC. “We had heard from our membership that the initial plan would have greatly hurt business growth and prosperity, especially for our small businesses. Together with Chambers of Commerce across the country, our voice was loud and strong. We are glad that the government acknowledged our voice and that it is flexible enough to revise policy in accordance with new information.”
As Canadians celebrate Small Business Month, Chamber representatives congratulate the thousands of businesspeople who joined the mobilization and made their voices heard on this important issue affecting Canadian workers and employers.
The GNCC also noted the Minister’s call for further input from Canadian businesses, and intends to continue providing a voice to ensure the tax system is simpler and less of a burden on Canada’s competitiveness.
“It is always more productive when government and business work together. We can only hope the government will listen as we provide advice on those areas where more remains to be done, and that they will propose concrete data to back up their claims. The Canadian Chamber will be working with the GNCC and other chambers across the country for suggestions on reforms that can improve the competitiveness of Canada’s tax system. Lowering the small business tax rate is one such measure, but there is still much room for improvement,” Mr. Beatty said.
“We must ensure that Canada and Niagara remain attractive places to do business. Although there is a great deal of work to be done, today’s announcement is a positive first step, but we expect more and we will be vigilant on the next steps,” he concluded.
The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce is the largest business organization in Niagara and the third-largest Chamber of Commerce in Ontario, with 1,600 members representing 50,000 employees. More information on the GNCC is available at gncc.ca.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the vital connection between business and the federal government. It helps shape public policy and decision-making to the benefit of businesses, communities and families across Canada with a network of over 450 chambers of commerce and boards of trade, representing 200,000 businesses of all sizes in all sectors of the economy and in all regions. News and information are available at Chamber.ca or follow us on Twitter @CdnChamberofCom .
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