Statement from the Minister of National Revenue on the 2017 Fall Reports of the Auditor General of Canada

Statements

November 21, 2017 – Ottawa, Ontario – Canada Revenue Agency           

The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue, delivered the following statement in response to the report called “Call Centres—Canada Revenue Agency” in the 2017 Fall Reports of the Auditor General of Canada:

“I thank the Auditor General and his staff for their work and dedication to improving services for Canadians.

As the Minister of National Revenue, one of my priorities is to ensure that the Canada Revenue Agency offers quality service and treats Canadians as valued clients, not just as taxpayers. I acknowledge the report findings and agree with the Auditor General’s recommendations.

For millions of Canadians, our call centres are their first choice to interact with the Agency. Our clients have a right to receive information that is clear and precise, when they need it. We have made strides to improve our service over the last two years by hiring more agents, increasing self-serve options, and implementing measures that will allow our clients to reach our agents more readily. However, there remains work to be done, and the Auditor General’s recommendations will help us make the necessary adjustments.

To this end, we have launched a three-point action plan to modernize CRA call centres, which focuses on technology, training our agents, and updating our service standards.

Beginning in 2018, our clients will see numerous improvements when we implement a new telephone platform in our call centres. This platform will connect Canadians with agents more efficiently and will inform callers of current wait times. Additionally, a new national quality control team will be put in place to improve agent tools and training. Finally, we will update our service standards to provide Canadians with clearer and more transparent information about the service they can expect from our call centres.

Budget 2016 invested more than $50 million over four years to improve the CRA’s call centre service, for which funding had been reduced considerably over the years. This investment was necessary and will improve the quality of the service we offer Canadians, who remain at the heart of our decisions and actions.”

The report covers the period April 1, 2012, to March 31, 2017.

Contacts

Media Relations
Canada Revenue Agency
613-952-9184

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