Recommendations not released
Dave Sullivan
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (May 23/01) - Suggestions for re-vamping government strategies to keep NWT businesses on a level playing field are ready for political review.
The public, however, may not get to see a copy any time soon.
The GNWT is overhauling its business incentive policy (BIP) and recommended policy changes are being vetted by government officials before being handed to cabinet. Ministers will have a report to review at a June cabinet meeting, said policy manager Bonita Melvin.
"It's in their hands," she said.
She wrote a report on the heels of public meetings in February and March which took place in 10 NWT communities.
The meetings focused on whether small businesses should get tax deductions and labour rebates. The main thrust of current policy involves government-contract bid adjustments to prevent all the work from being gobbled up by southern-based companies. The BIP needs to be updated, she said, to keep it in line with new GNWT economic and spending priorities.
With a 60 per cent reduction in GNWT spending on big-ticket items over the past several years, firms which used to rely on government contracts have had to drum up business with other companies.
