News Release

National 2009

Canada Border Services Agency successfully delivers on the Government of Canada's Paperwork Burden Reduction Initiative

Niagara Falls, Ontario, April 17, 2009 - The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of Public Safety, today announced that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has successfully met the Government of Canada's target for all participating departments and agencies to reduce 20 percent of the requirements their policies and forms impose on Canadian business.

This 20 percent reduction is part of the Government of Canada-led Paperwork Burden Reduction Initiative. Through this initiative, the CBSA has eliminated over 1,600 obsolete, non-essential requirements and administrative demands imposed on business, making the overall CBSA commercial process clearer and easier for Canadian businesses to comply with and understand.

"The CBSA is committed to a smart and secure border that not only ensures the safety of Canadians but also facilitates Canadian business and trade," said Minister Van Loan. "By meeting the 20 percent target, the CBSA is contributing to this important government initiative to reduce the paperwork burden. This is just one of our efforts to further simplify and streamline commercial processes for our business clients, in particular the smaller enterprises."

Through its own business simplification initiative and in support of the Paperwork Burden Reduction Initiative, the CBSA partners with key representatives from business, industry and trade to continue making the commercial process easier at the Canadian border. One of these key partnerships is with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). The CFIB has played an important role in the CBSA's ongoing business simplification efforts.

"The CBSA's business simplification working group is an exemplary illustration of how the private and public sectors are working together towards paperwork reduction," said Corinne Pohlmann, Vice-President of National Affairs at the CFIB. Ms. Pohlmann is also the co-chair of the CBSA's business simplification working group.

-30-

For media information:

Chris McCluskey
Office of the Honourable Peter Van Loan
Minister of Public Safety
613-991-2865

Media Relations
Canada Border Services Agency
613-957-6500