The BC Chamber has achieved a key win for B.C.’s small businesses in the finalization of the BC Small Business Accord. The BC Chamber has been the driving force behind the accord, which was achieved in partnership with the B.C. government.

On March 19, Naomi Yamamoto, minister of state for small business, and John Winter, BC Chamber president and CEO, announced the finalized accord. Through the accord, the B.C. government commits to keeping the needs of small businesses top of mind when making policy decisions.

The BC Chamber of Commerce is calling on the provincial government to make tax reform a top priority to boost job creation and economic prosperity in British Columbia.

“The PST is an abysmal tax and as British Columbians, we simply can’t settle for it,” said John Winter, the BC Chamber’s president and CEO. “This tax stunts business growth in B.C., scares away Canadian or international businesses that might come grow jobs here, and mires everybody in red tape and nonsensical rules. Frankly, it’s an embarrassing tax.”

At the BC Chamber’s Annual General Meeting and Conference (May 23 to 25), the provincewide network of Chambers and the 36,000 businesses they represent called for the province to launch discussions on the creation of a made-in-B.C. value-added tax (VAT).