CFIB Wants Federal Budget to Unleash Canadian Entrepreneurship OTTAWA, Feb. 23 /CNW/ - The Canadian Federation of Independent Business
(CFIB) is urging Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to use his inaugural budget to
recognize the vital role independent business plays in the national economy.
In its pre-budget submission released today, CFIB recommends actions to
improve the economic conditions for today's entrepreneurs and address barriers
to the prosperity and quality of life for Canadians in the future.
During the election, CFIB surveyed all the major political party leaders
on issues of importance to independent business owners. Responses revealed all
parties agreed on a number of important small business issues. "We believe
that focusing on small business issues is an excellent starting off point for
the new parliament to work together," CFIB Executive Vice President Garth
Whyte said. "Small- and medium-sized business have been a huge driving force
behind Canada's impressive economic growth and job creation performance. CFIB
believes that the government should do all it can to create an environment
that helps to build on that record by promoting and supporting
entrepreneurship".
The pre-budget submission focuses on three priority areas identified by
CFIB's 105,000 members as necessary for business growth and job creation:
lowering the overall tax burden through the introduction of a multi-year tax
and debt reduction plan; reducing government red tape and regulatory burden
that costs Canadian business $33 billion per year; and addressing the
challenges with entrepreneurial succession in Canada where four out of ten
CFIB members have stated their intention to sell their businesses in the next
5 years, putting over 2 million Canadian jobs at risk.
"In a global economy, companies are only as competitive as their
government policies allow them to be. With a fresh government comes fresh
opportunity to set the economy on course for excellence. A smaller, more
nimble government, committed to removing the obstacles to prosperity and
encouraging entrepreneurship will in the end, improve the quality of life for
all Canadians, now and in the future," concluded Whyte.
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/For further information: please contact Rob Taylor in Ottawa,
(613) 235-2373/
9:56:31 AM 
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