BC Government News: Listening to businesses to keep BC competitive

Summary

• Ease of Doing Business initiative received 260 submissions since launch in June 2025
• Submission portal remains open for government to keep listening, driving improvements and cutting red tape
• Province delivers resources, tools and services to help businesses start and grow, including resources previously provided by Small Business BC

The Province has received more than 260 submissions through the Ease of Doing Business initiative, and is reviewing and acting on recommendations to foster a business environment that supports good jobs and economic growth.

Launched on June 5, 2025, the Ease of Doing Business initiative invited businesses to share challenges and ideas with government through the EaseBiz BC submission portal.

To date, the majority of feedback has focused on:

• interprovincial trade barriers and tariffs
• streamlining regulations
• speeding up permitting and approvals
• improving access to skilled labour
• modernizing tax policy
• calls for housing investment, climate action, innovation support and support for Indigenous businesses

The Province continues to support businesses with resources, tools and services to help them start and grow, including resources previously delivered by Small Business BC, with more that will be available soon.

Next steps

In addition to new submissions received through Ease of Doing Business, the Province has reviewed recommendations from reports and open letters from business organizations, creating a central repository of more than 700 items to guide action. Ministries are continuously reviewing feedback and looking for opportunities to make changes to reduce or adjust rules and regulations and cut red tape.

To ensure businesses and business organizations can continue to provide feedback to government, the Ease of Doing Business initiative and the EaseBiz BC portal will remain open. This feedback will support government’s efforts to help business grow, attract investment and improve competitiveness. For transparency, regular updates on what feedback and actions government is undertaking will be posted on the Ease of Doing Business website.

The Government of B.C. remains committed to ongoing dialogue with businesses and business organizations.

Supporting economic growth

These efforts complement the Look West economic plan, and its goals of supporting businesses by diversifying markets, strengthening B.C.’s skilled workforce, and speeding up permitting and approvals to deliver major projects quicker.

This includes B.C.’s leadership in the new Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement, which breaks down interprovincial trade barriers, making it easier for B.C. businesses to sell products across Canada, and for people to buy Canadian-made goods.

Recently, prompt-payment legislation for the construction sector was passed, which will come into force after a transition period. It will set clear timelines for payment on construction projects, establish a fast-track adjudication process to resolve payment-related disputes and improve cash flow and stability across the construction industry.

In addition, the Province recently committed to doubling trades-training funding and permanently strengthening B.C.’s trades-training system, with a new $241-million fund.

The Ease of Doing Business initiative builds on the work government has done through Better Regulations for British Columbians, which has delivered more than 2,000 regulatory amendments since 2016. This ongoing work has made for easier and quicker interactions between businesses and government services, enhancing overall accessibility and convenience.

Learn more: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025JEG0064-001290