PILOT ONE-STOP BUSINESS REGISTRATION SYSTEM LAUNCHED

Released on May 20, 1998

Economic and Co-operative Development Minister Janice MacKinnon and

Justice Minister John Nilson today officially launched a six-month

pilot program to test and assess an electronic one-stop business

registration system.



"The government is committed to reducing regulation and paperwork for

entrepreneurs, freeing up their valuable time to nurture their

businesses, creating more jobs and economic growth in Saskatchewan"

MacKinnon said.



To register a business via the pilot system, an applicant enters

information as prompted at one of six computer work stations available

in Saskatoon, Regina and Swift Current. The information entered forms

the basis of an application for registration which is printed at the

end of the session, signed by the applicant and sent to the

Corporations Branch, along with the appropriate registration fee.



Corporations Branch provides the same information to Saskatchewan

Finance and the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) so the person

applying does not need to register separately with each of the three

agencies. Registration documents are subsequently received by mail.



"The agencies involved worked out a common format that satisfies their

information and regulatory requirements," Nilson said.



"When someone registers a new business on this system, he or she

is providing all three agencies with the information they need.

And it is all done in as little time as 20 minutes, with one

visit to one location.



"People and law firms who prepare numerous business registrations

for entrepreneurs will find the system particularly valuable," he

said.



Saskatchewan Director of the Canadian Federation of Independent

Business (CFIB) Marilyn Braun said the initiative will help

alleviate the paperwork that is consistently identified as a

problem for CFIB members.



"Our membership will be watching the pilot with great interest

for its potential to reduce the time and paper it takes to

register a new business," Braun said.



The six pilot locations include the Canada Saskatchewan Business

Service Centre in Saskatoon; the Corporations Branch of

Saskatchewan Justice, the Revenue Division of Saskatchewan

Finance, Workers Compensation Board and the Kanuka Thuringer Law

Office in Regina; as well as the Southwest Entrepreneurial

Centre in Swift Current.



"This is an innovative approach to creating better service for

businesses and co-operatives," MacKinnon said. "It is an

important part of sharpening our competitive edge to build on our

success."



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For more information, contact:



Debbie Wilkie

Economic and Co-operative

Development

Regina

Phone: (306)787-1691



Marilyn Braun

CFIB

Saskatchewan Office

Regina

Phone: (306)757-0000