Enterprise Saskatchewan

The Government of Saskatchewan's Regulatory Reform Initiative (RRI) began in 1995 with the commitment to reduce the number of provincial regulations by 25% within 10 years and, within the same period of time, ensure that all provincial regulations that existed at that time were reviewed by the responsible departments or organizations, for relevancy and currency.

The Government of Saskatchewan met and exceeded its 25% reduction target, reporting a 33% decline in the number of regulations by January 2001, and a 28% reduction by the end of the last fiscal year. With the target having been met, the Annual Report for the 2004-05 fiscal year was also the last year that the numbers of regulations were formally reported upon.

During the 10-year mandate of the RRI, Government of Saskatchewan departments, agencies and Crown corporations reviewed 98% of the inventory of provincial regulations that existed at the start of the RRI. Out of the original 945 regulations, only 18 were not reviewed at the end of the 2005-06 fiscal year.

Another key aspect of the RRI has been the "business focus" – or the efforts of departments, agencies and Crown corporations to improve the environment within which businesses in the province operate. Highlights from this report of success stories include the following:

Improved Client Access:

• The former Industry and Resources (IR) laid the groundwork in 2005-06 for the joint launch with the City of Saskatoon and Industry Canada of BizPaL – an interactive one-stop website that provides a customized list of permits and licences required by business people starting a business in selected sectors.
• Information Services Corporation (ISC) launched the new Saskatchewan Personal Property Registry using a user-friendly, web-based application, available 24/7 and providing easier access to online services, more online registration options, as well as provincewide service through eight customer service centres.

Reduced Paperwork:

• As a result of systems changes at the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA), applications for special occasion permits can now be completed electronically through systems located in all SLGA retail operations.
• Finance converted its Energy Star sales tax rebate program for eligible appliance purchases from a paper-based application followed by a rebate cheque, to a point of sale exemption.
• The former IR introduced amendments that allow companies to submit reports required under Mineral Exploration Incentive and Mineral Disposition regulations in digital format.
• SaskEnergy's Sask 1st Call, which provides a "one call" service for customers planning to dig or excavate, has grown to 24 subscribers including SaskTel.

Increased Flexibility:

• As part of its Green Strategy, Environment continues to focus on "results-based" regulations that reduce the need for time-consuming, detailed regulatory decision-making processes.
• Saskatchewan Government Insurance introduced a perpetual licence plate option for commercial carriers and farmers, which reduces red-tape and provides more choices for customers.
• Saskatchewan Watershed Authority amended regulations to accommodate a new tourism development in the Elbow area.

Harmonization:

• New regulations to be introduced by Corrections and Public Safety (CPS) will eliminate the requirement for welders to maintain a basic welding certification ticket and allow for the issuance of certification tickets to welders if they hold a valid and subsisting ticket issued by another province or territory.
• CPS introduced new regulations to accept boiler and pressure vessel design reviews performed by other provinces or territories.
• Environment continues to work with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans and is close to harmonizing a Memorandum of Understanding on the harmonization of fish habitat protection and licensing processes in Saskatchewan.
• Highways and Transportation introduced new Security of Loads and Trip Inspection Regulations to harmonize provincial load security regulations with the rest of the country's regulations. To facilitate future harmonization, The Highways and Transportation Act, 1997 was amended to enable automatic adoption of federal amendments, by provincial regulations, as opposed to amending regulations each time federal provisions are updated.
• The Security Division of the Saskatchewan Financial Services Commission has implemented a system to give market participants access to the capital markets in several jurisdictions by dealing with the regulator and law of its principal jurisdiction.
• Environment renewed a Canada-Saskatchewan Environmental Assessment
  Co-operative Agreement with the federal Environmental Assessment Agency to allow for the recognition of one environmental assessment process when both federal and provincial acts apply to a process.

Clearer Language and Improved Information:

• Environment's proposed amendments to forestry regulations will provide clearer processes and more appropriate fees for mining companies operating in the provincial forest.
• Phase One of ISC's Mineral Mapping Project will see the province's mineral parcel picture layer increase from the current 6% availability to 85% availability. The prior lack of availability of this information has been a significant issue for the oil and gas sector.

Reduced Fees and Potential Cost Savings:

• Government Relations' (GR) amendments to The Subdivision Regulations achieved consistency between the procedures of GR and ISC for land subdivision and land registration, creating potential savings for users of the land titles system by allowing for submission of electronic subdivision applications and for fees to be electronically charged to client accounts.
• Highways and Transportation amended its Vehicle Weights and Dimension Regulations, 1999 to reduce costs and administrative burdens to the trucking industry and harmonize with other Prairie provinces by issuing fleet permits (as opposed to individual permits) to eligible companies.
• The former IR's extension of its Petroleum and Research Incentive Regulations means that a total of $30 million will be available over the next five years to the oil and gas industry, by way of credits against future royalties and freehold production taxes.
• Justice's Corporations Branch reduced fees for electronic filings of "articles of incorporation," business name registrations and renewals, and entity profiles.
• SaskEnergy initiated the Landlord Service Transfer Agreement to eliminate transfer fees and ensure the uninterrupted flow of natural gas to a rental premise in the event it becomes vacant, helping to eliminate potential property damage.