Governments of Canada, Manitoba and 14 Municipalities Deliver BizPaL Services

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA--(Marketwire - Jan. 20, 2012) - Starting and running a business in 14 Manitoba communities just became easier thanks to BizPaL, an online business permit and licence service that saves time spent on paperwork and helps entrepreneurs start up faster.

Today, the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism), together with the Honourable Peter Bjornson, Manitoba's Minister of Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade, and Graham Starmer, President of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, welcomed the launch of BizPaL in the following communities: the rural municipalities of Woodlands, Portage la Prairie, Alexander, Shell River, Ellice, Minto, Odanah, Saskatchewan and Winchester; the towns of Powerview-Pine Falls, Minnedosa and Deloraine; the Village of St. Lazare; and the City of Flin Flon.

"Our government is committed to providing small and medium-sized businesses with the tools they need to succeed," said Minister of State Bernier. "BizPaL is a great example of our government's commitment to cut red tape so that Canadian businesses can continue to do what they do best: innovate, create jobs and generate wealth in our communities."

BizPaL is an innovative service that provides entrepreneurs with simplified access to information on the permits and licences they need to establish and run their businesses. This unique partnership among federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments is designed to cut through the paperwork burden and red tape that small business owners encounter. The BizPaL service in these 14 communities was developed by their local governments, the Province of Manitoba and the Government of Canada.

"Small businesses drive the rural economy, and BizPaL is an example of how our government is committed to putting supports in place that help entrepreneurs grow businesses and create jobs throughout Manitoba," said Minister Bjornson. "With the addition of these 14 municipalities, Manitoba has reached another milestone with 70 municipalities participating in BizPaL, representing more than 75 per cent of our population."

"BizPaL is a fast and user-friendly tool to help business owners simplify research on regulatory compliance," said Mr. Starmer. "On behalf of the 64 chambers of commerce in Manitoba and their 9,000 members, we welcome the expansion of BizPaL to these rural communities."

Area business owners and entrepreneurs can access the new BizPaL services by visiting the Government of Manitoba's Business Portal (www.Manitoba.ca/business).

Visit the BizPaL website (www.bizpal.ca) for additional information.

Backgrounder

BizPaL Simplifies Permits and Licences for Canadian Businesses

BizPaL is an online service that benefits Canadian businesses by helping them identify which permits and licences they require and how to obtain them. Entrepreneurs simply provide information on the type of business they want to start or expand and the activities they plan to undertake. BizPaL then automatically generates a list of all required permits and licences from all levels of government, along with basic information on each, and links to government sites where the entrepreneur can learn more and, in some cases, apply online.

BizPaL also benefits governments by making it easier for them to provide businesses with accurate information on permits and licences. Although the service is offered online, it can also be used through other service channels (i.e., telephone and in-person centres), extending services to more clients.

To date, 11 provinces and territories are participating in BizPaL, with more than 600 municipalities offering the service.

Industry Canada is the lead federal department for the BizPaL initiative, supporting the centralized functions of the project. The Government of Canada and the provincial and territorial governments are fully committed to creating a competitive business environment that supports innovation and reduces red tape.

As announced in Budget 2011, BizPaL will receive $3 million annually in funding, making the program permanent and allowing it to provide even greater value to small businesses. In the coming months, BizPaL will become available to more Canadians as additional municipalities join the program.

The success of BizPaL is due in part to the multi-jurisdictional partnership among federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments. The partnership operates under a shared governance and costing model with collaborative decision making. Each jurisdiction is responsible for adding and maintaining its own information in BizPaL.

The Manitoba BizPaL Office, housed within the Department of Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade, is charged with engaging local governments to make this important service available across Manitoba. BizPaL is an integral component of Manitoba's Single Window for Business Initiative, which is focused on improving the accessibility of the Province's business information and services and helping to cut red tape. Area business owners and entrepreneurs can access BizPaL by visiting the Government of Manitoba's Business Portal (www.Manitoba.ca/business).

Visit the BizPaL website (www.bizpal.ca) for additional information.