A new report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business finds that half of small business owners in Atlantic Canada feel their municipalities are not small business-friendly.
Some of the issues owners in Atlantic Canada identified in the report include property taxes, municipal red tape, and crime and safety.
When it comes to property taxes, it’s hard to predict how these rates will increase, making it difficult to plan business, according to Duncan Roberston, senior policy analyst for the CFIB in Nova Scotia.
“Halifax does quite well at red tape reduction, but looking across Atlantic Canada, there’s much more to be done,” Roberston said. “We’d like all municipalities to introduce a red-tape feedback mechanism. In Nova Scotia, the provincial government has one, but we’d like to see one at the municipal level as well, so small businesses can voice their concerns directly to policy makers.”
Robertson added that small business owners want municipalities to look at ways to make it easier for them to conduct their business in their respective communities.
