Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Red Tape Review Progress Report

Context

The Red Tape Reduction Office (RTRO) has been established to accelerate the removal of outdated or unnecessary rules, duplication, or overlap with provincial rules and inefficient or unpredictable regulatory administration or service delivery. The RTRO is working to address regulatory red tape by:

• making the regulatory system more efficient
• reducing barriers to innovation, productivity, and economic growth
• reducing regulatory costs for Canadians and businesses

Actions

The RTRO is leading government-wide efforts to reduce regulatory red tape.

TBS is the lead for the Government of Canada on the Red Tape Review, which seeks to deliver savings to Canadians by eliminating inefficient red tape—that is, outdated and overly complicated regulations that raise costs, reduce productivity, and stifle economic growth. On July 9, 2025, the President of the Treasury Board launched the Red Tape Review across federal departments and agencies with regulatory responsibilities, overseen by the RTRO.

Following the completion of these reviews by federal regulators, TBS will be building on this work to coordinate further red tape reduction efforts across government, focusing on horizontal and high impact areas. Priority areas are expected to include those that align with the need to bring a regulatory efficiency lens to major projects, support international trade and greater efficiency at the border, reduce barriers to business productivity, and improve regulatory service. TBS will also lead the development of a cross-government Red Tape Reduction Bill to bring forward legislative amendments to accelerate regulatory change.

Consistent with the Budget 2024 commitment to enable broader use of regulatory sandboxes across government, TBS will explore amendments to the Red Tape Reduction Act that would provide all ministers with the authority to issue exemptions for the purpose of enabling regulatory sandboxes.

The RTRO’s web presence, launched in July 2025, included a new landing page with information on the RTRO and the Red Tape Review, to strengthen engagement with Canadians and Canadian businesses.

Outcomes

This approach will result in greater transparency on red tape reduction, including greater visibility for Canadians and businesses with respect to the actions regulators are taking as a result of the Red Tape Review. In addition, continued efforts to reduce red tape in horizontal priority areas will help to ensure a sustained focus on reducing costs for businesses in the short- to medium-term. This work will ultimately result in reduced regulatory burden, saving time and money for Canadians and business.

Context

Developing tailored or customized regulations for Canada can create unnecessary complexity and barriers for businesses, especially when proven international standards or regulatory frameworks already exist. Regulatory cooperation is a process by which governments and regulatory bodies work together to align, harmonize, or mutually recognize regulations, standards, and practices to reduce unnecessary trade barriers, improve regulatory efficiency, enhance consumer and environmental protections, and foster innovation.

Actions

TBS and PCO are negotiating, on behalf of the Government of Canada, a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) with provinces and territories concerning the sale of goods (excluding food). An MRA is a formal arrangement between parties that facilitates trade and regulatory cooperation by having one party accept the requirements of the other parties. Reducing internal trade barriers through the adoption of an MRA will enhance trade efficiency, reduce costs, and facilitate the movement of goods across the country.

In parallel, TBS is working with federal regulators to advance discussions on regulatory cooperation to reduce red tape and promote trade diversification through its participation in three formal regulatory cooperation tables:

• Federal-Provincial-Territorial Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation Table (RCT)
• Canada–European Union Regulatory Cooperation Forum (RCF)
• Canada–United States Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC)

Going forward, TBS will review the Cabinet Directive on Regulation to assess whether it should be strengthened to require regulators to prove that regulations in another jurisdiction do not meet their needs before bringing forward a unique made-in-Canada solution.

Outcomes

Adopting this approach will direct regulators to align their existing and future regulatory framework to existing legal instruments (such as standards, regulations) by default. As a result, it should reduce regulatory barriers to internal and international trade. The successful implementation of regulatory cooperation strategies can reduce red tape and costs for Canadians and business.

Context

A variety of factors contribute to the complexity and speed of regulatory processes, including the limited use of modern digital tools as a barrier to efficiency, innovation, and service delivery. Coordinated efforts across departments and investing in scalable regulatory technologies (RegTech) will help speed up the federal regulatory system, save costs long-term, and improve collaboration across departments.

Actions

TBS, through its Centre for Regulatory Innovation (CRI), is leading efforts to advance enterprise-wide adoption of RegTech across federal departments and agencies with regulatory responsibilities. For example, the CRI has funded a project led by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to test digital credentials to secure electronic versions of official documents that businesses usually submit on paper. The pilot showed how regulators and businesses could save time and reduce manual effort by issuing and verifying documents digitally. It also helped lay the groundwork for a national approach to using digital credentials in regulatory processes.

A (director general-level) Steering Committee will provide strategic direction, coordinate interdepartmental efforts, and guide joint investments in RegTech that can be scaled across departments. In parallel, an interdepartmental RegTech forum provides a centralized space for federal regulators to showcase technological solutions, share best practices, and foster horizontal collaboration across departments. All RegTech initiatives will be aligned with broader digital standards and enterprise IT frameworks to ensure interoperability and long-term sustainability.

Expected outcomes

Increased departmental collaboration is expected to accelerate the adoption of transformative RegTech and deliver a faster, more efficient federal regulatory system. It will generate long-term government savings through shared investments in scalable technology solutions. Enhanced governance and collaboration across departments will foster innovation, improve consistency and interoperability of regulatory tools, and build a connected RegTech community that continuously advances modernization efforts.

Context

Amendments to the Supplementary Death Benefit Regulations were required as certain aspects related to naming and changing beneficiaries under the Supplementary Death Benefit plan no longer aligned with industry standards, plan member needs, or technological advancements.

Actions

To address these challenges, TBS advanced regulatory changes to allow plan participants to name multiple beneficiaries and designate beneficiaries online, which has streamlined the designation process. These changes came into effect in May 2024.

Outcomes

Data was collected for a period of seven months before and after the coming into force date of the amendments. Prior to the amendments, beneficiary designations could only be made via paper form. Following the amendments, there was a strong uptake in online designations (90% of transactions). Further, designations made online helped to streamline the process because they decreased the number of invalid requests received (from 15% to 2.5%). Likewise, calls to the Pension Centre to confirm receipt of a designation or the status of their validly named beneficiary decreased. These outcomes reflect efficiencies gained in this process.

Context

The existing regulatory framework under the Cabinet Directive on Regulation and the Red Tape Reduction Act could be strengthened to ensure that these tools provide the right amount of direction to regulators on how to support health, safety, and environmental objectives while also promoting economic competitiveness and supporting internal trade.

Actions

The Red Tape Reduction Office (RTRO) will undertake a review of existing tools to ensure red tape efforts are formally structured around the mandate to eliminate outdated regulations, reduce duplication, and deliver better services. This will also include reviewing and updating measurement strategies and requirements to ensure the Government of Canada is adequately counting requirements imposed on individuals and businesses, and remains focused on reducing requirements (such as through targets). Directives and guidelines will also be reviewed to ensure the regulatory system is working quickly, effectively, and efficiently, and to ensure all regulators adhere to consistent standards of service for individuals and businesses.

The RTRO will also develop new tools to help ensure the regulatory system remains current over time, such as a policy on stock review that sets clear expectations for departments on ensuring regulations continue to be appropriate and effective while removing obsolete regulations as soon as practical. Further, the Policy on Regulatory Development will be updated to better direct regulators to support the government’s ongoing commitments to Indigenous peoples.

Expected outcomes

Strengthening the regulatory toolkit to support a sustained focus on red tape reduction will result in regulations that are more relevant and cost-effective. Greater regulatory efficiency will support Canadians as it will lead to a more responsive and effective government, lower costs for businesses and consumers, and a fairer and more transparent regulatory environment.

Context

Treasury Board is the Cabinet committee responsible for reviewing and providing advice to the Governor General on most Governor in Council (GIC) orders and regulations. The GIC is the Governor General acting on the advice of Cabinet, and a GIC order (known as an order-in-council) is a legal instrument that formalizes a decision made by the GIC. TBS will work with departments and agencies to streamline the process for GIC orders and regulations. A simplified process that balances the need for agility with rigorous analysis and a focus on government priorities and complex issues will support red tape reduction and help ensure that decisions impacting Canadians are made more efficiently and effectively.

Actions

TBS will consider the following actions to streamline the regulatory decision-making process:

• Remove duplicative decision making: TBS is looking for opportunities to reduce duplication in decision making, for example, by identifying areas where it may be appropriate to seek a single, integrated Cabinet decision that covers both the policy and GIC decisions. TBS will pilot this approach on select files in 2025-26. Outcomes of the pilot will inform future direction and, depending on lessons learned, may lead to the development of a more formalized approach.
• Delegate low-risk GIC authorities to Ministers: TBS is working with departments to identify low-risk GIC authorities that, based on their scope, impact, and urgency, would be better-placed with Ministers.
• Reduce burden on departments: As part of its challenge function, TBS requires departments to complete various materials to explain and analyze their GIC proposals. In winter 2025, TBS updated its guidance and templates to provide greater clarity and support, with the goal of enabling higher-quality draft submissions from regulators and identifying opportunities to reduce burden on departments. This work is ongoing. TBS will continue to refine its guidance suite by gathering feedback from regulators on recent updates, as well as by continuing to identify areas where further support is needed. Additional updates to guidance and templates are planned throughout fall 2025.
• Formalize pathway for exceptional urgent regulatory proposals: To support a more streamlined and consistent approach to urgent regulatory development, particularly to protect the health, safety, security, and social and economic well-being of Canadians, TBS is developing clear criteria and guidance for exceptional urgent proposals by fall 2025.

Expected outcomes

These changes are expected to make the GIC process faster, clearer, more targeted, and more efficient. By reducing the number of approvals required where possible and giving ministers more authority for lower-risk decisions, the system can be more efficient without lowering standards. Continued updates to guidance and templates will help regulatory organizations better understand expectations and facilitate faster reviews. Clear rules will also make it easier to respond quickly in exceptional urgent situations. Overall, a more agile GIC process means more timely results for Canadians.

Context

Cumulative burden is continuously identified as a challenge by business. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has noted that cumulative regulatory burden at the federal, provincial, and municipal level is an obstacle to business growth, competitiveness, and productivity in Canada (CFIB, Red Tape Report 2025).

Actions

Through the establishment of an FPT red tape reduction committee, TBS will bolster opportunities for information sharing, cooperation, and collaboration across Canada on the removal of regulatory red tape. This will include opportunities to build on existing collaborative efforts across governments to tackle cumulative burden, develop shared approaches to performance measurement, and/or target priority sectors for red tape reduction. The Government of Canada will bring forward the results of its regulatory reviews to enable thematic discussions with provinces and territories.

Expected outcomes

A coordinated FPT approach to reduce cumulative burden will help improve the regulatory environment by identifying priority actions to be undertaken by governments in Canada. Collaboration and information sharing will support efforts to enhance consistency and transparency of rules and rulemaking, making it easier for businesses to navigate regulatory requirements and enabling greater predictability across jurisdictions.

Context

Transparent, clear, efficient, and predictable regulatory service minimizes red tape and helps Canadians and businesses succeed. Service standards make the regulatory process more transparent by clearly stating how long it should take to process an application or issue a decision. This helps individuals and businesses plan their activities more effectively. Service standards can also drive efficiency within regulatory agencies by encouraging them to streamline their processes and allocate resources effectively.

Actions

As part of its efforts to drive regulatory red tape reduction across the Government of Canada, TBS will champion whole-of-government efforts to improve regulatory service. This will include engaging with regulators on regulatory service standards, and opportunities and barriers to reducing regulatory wait times.

TBS will also launch a consultation to seek insights from partners and stakeholders on ways to improve regulatory service, including service standards, regulatory guidance, and communications and transparency.

Expected outcomes

A renewed effort on transparent, clear, efficient, and predictable regulatory service would improve the experience of regulated parties in navigating Canada’s regulatory system. Whole-of-government efforts on service standards would also help businesses and other regulated parties receive timely and transparent information and decision-making, supporting greater predictability.

Context

Legislative action will be required to bring forward bold and impactful proposals that transform Canada’s regulatory framework.

Actions

TBS intends to develop Red Tape Reduction legislation, similar to existing legislation among some provinces and territories, with the goal of making the necessary legislative changes for an efficient regulatory system. Items to be included in this legislation will be those that immediately remove outdated or unnecessary rules, duplication, or overlap with provincial rules, and rules that represent barriers to innovation, productivity, and growth. Items identified through the Red Tape Reviews will be priorities for inclusion in this legislative proposal.

Expected outcomes

Implementation of Red Tape Reduction legislation would deliver enduring and transformative changes to the regulatory framework, saving time and money for Canadians and businesses.

Transfer value

Definition of salary

Optional survivor benefit

Medical requirements

Electronic documents and information

Context

Under Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations (the Part IV Regulations), federal institutions must identify the service area of certain offices to determine whether they should be designated bilingual. When they have several offices offering the same services in a region, they must consult the English or French minority served on the choice of bilingual offices. In other circumstances, they are required to measure the demand for service in English and French at an office to determine whether it should offer services in both official languages. These tasks involve internal and external consultations, contracting and data collection, which require time, as well as human and financial resources.

Part IV Regulations also stipulate that offices subject to general provisions based on minority language data (such as service areas and consultations) must apply the Regulations using data from the most recent decennial census. Therefore, every 10 years, these offices must re-apply these provisions of the Part IV Regulations. Regulatory provisions that use other data (such as passenger volume at an airport, measurement of demand on an airplane flight), however, are not subject to this decennial reapplication as per the Regulations, but rather as per the Directive. This is known as the Official Languages Regulations Reapplication Exercise (OLRRE), a process lasting around four years during which all provisions on significant demand, the rules mentioned above, and several others, are reapplied to some 10,000 offices in nearly 180 federal institutions.

During the current OLRRE, TBS found that meeting the Directive's deadlines for completing these tasks is a challenge for many institutions. Some mentioned lack of resources, staff turnover, as well as lack of time internally and among stakeholders due to other priorities.

Once an office's linguistic designation has been determined, the Directive gives the institution a maximum of one year to meet the new bilingual linguistic obligations, or the terms and conditions for ceasing to provide bilingual services in the case of offices that become unilingual. This deadline can present a financial and administrative burden for many institutions, particularly those with numerous offices that become simultaneously bilingual because of the OLRRE. Some institutions have raised the challenges associated with language training (replacement of staff during training and training costs), as well as difficulties in recruiting and staffing positions requiring specialized skills and certifications within the one-year deadline.

Actions

TBS is proposing to amend the Directive to extend to 12 months the current six-month period for identifying the service area of offices and for consulting the linguistic minority served on the choice of bilingual offices. It also proposes to extend to three years the current two-year period for measuring the public demand for services in English and French. TBS also proposes amending the Directive to provide for a review of the application of the specific rules five years after the publication of the decennial census language data, allowing the OLRRE to be split into two separate exercises. Finally, it proposes extending to two years the one-year period within which federal institutions must implement their new bilingual obligations or cease providing bilingual services.

The major steps in amending this Directive are usually as follows: (1) amendment proposal, (2) consultations with stakeholders (minority language community, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages), institutions, TBS (for example, Priorities and Planning, Communications) and (3) approval by the President of the Treasury Board. Depending on the priority assigned to this process, the review could be completed within 6–12 months.

Expected outcomes

The proposed changes would be expected to reduce administrative burden as they would give greater flexibility and allow more time for federal institutions and privatized entities (such as Air Canada) to complete the tasks required to apply the Part IV Regulations. This flexibility would allow institutions to spread their resources and costs related to these tasks, the OLRRE, and the implementation of new obligations over more than one fiscal year.

Context

The Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations (the Part IV Regulations) stipulate that the Minister shall submit a review report to Parliament ten years after the coming into force of the Regulations, following an exhaustive analysis. The purpose of this provision is to ensure that the Regulations are kept up to date and reflect the needs of the Canadian population.

Actions

TBS will conduct an in-depth analysis of the Regulations to identify opportunities for improvements, efficiencies, and cost reductions and prepare a review report for the President of the Treasury Board, including recommendations for simplifying and streamlining the Regulations. This review is expected to start in 2026-27 in order to be completed by 2029.

Expected outcomes

The review report will offer recommendations to further reduce the administrative burden on federal institutions related to the application of the Regulations, while continuing to meet the objectives of the Official Languages Act.

Context

The 2025 review of the Access to Information Act (ATIA) was launched on June 20, 2025. This review will build on the conclusions of the 2020 review outlined in the 2022 Access to Information Review Report to Parliament; the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics’ 2023 report The State of Canada’s Access to Information System; and consider previous feedback from Indigenous partners and a variety of stakeholders such as academics, journalists, and civil society members.

With a view to improving the performance and operational efficiency of the access to information (ATI) regime, strengthening transparency and accountability of government institutions, as well as better enabling public debate on the conduct of those institutions, the 2025 review will focus on six broad themes:

• enhancing transparency, accountability, and public participation
• facilitating access
• declassifying and disclosing historical records
• managing information
• ensuring Indigenous access to, and protection of, information
• ensuring oversight and compliance

Actions

Publish policy proposals on Canada.ca and conduct formal engagement with stakeholders and Indigenous partners (fall–winter 2025–26).

Table a report to Parliament on the results of the review and propose options to the government for modernizing the ATI regime (as early as spring 2026).

Expected outcomes

The following outcomes supporting responsiveness to Canadians could be achieved over the mid-to-long term, depending on the results of the 2025 review of the ATIA:

1. Strengthened compliance with legislative timelines to respond to ATI requests.
2. Improved management of information, including historical records, as it relates to the ATIA.
3. Increased quality and volume of information and data published proactively by government institutions.
4. The ATIA is consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as required under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

Context

TBS will seek an amendment to the Crown Corporation General Regulations, 1995 to provide authority for agent Crown corporations to enter low-risk, low-value leases as required for their operations, without Governor in Council (GIC) approval.

This amendment would align regulatory requirements with amendments made to the Financial Administration Act in 2009, which added the authority to lease, either in accordance with the regulations or by authorization of the GIC, to the agent Crown corporation authorities to “sell or otherwise dispose of” property.

Without a regulatory amendment, the unintended consequence of the 2009 legislation change is that any of the 27 agent Crown corporations that wish to offer lease arrangements of their property, regardless of value, must have each lease approved by the GIC.

Processing these individual lease approvals, in addition to what is already presented in the corporate plans and approved annually by Treasury Board Ministers, is duplicative and burdensome for the corporations, their customers, central agencies, and portfolio departments.

Modernizing the Regulations to correspond to the legislation will allow agent Crown corporations, particularly those with seasonal operations, to better serve their customers by providing flexibility to adapt the needs of their clients in acquiring low-value, short-term lease arrangements.

Actions

TBS has initiated internal consultations to ensure any regulatory amendment would align with broader public policy objectives, the administrative policy requirements of the core public service, as well as corresponding legal and governance implications. Into fall 2025, TBS will begin to engage stakeholders more broadly, including portfolio departments with responsibilities for agent Crown corporations, TBS Regulatory Affairs, and the Department of Justice Canada. Building on these consultations, TBS will begin work on the Regulatory Impact Analysis to support a regulatory amendment to provide agent Crown corporations the authority to enter low-risk, low-value leasing arrangements while ensuring the effective stewardship of public resources in line with good governance practices.

Expected outcomes

Advancing this amendment and eliminating the requirement for agent Crown corporations to obtain GIC approval of each individual lease would be expected to:

• provide the necessary operational flexibility for agent Crown corporations to offer timely, predictable services to their customers without compromising accountability or transparency
• provide efficiencies and confidence for the businesses seeking to enter low-value, low-risk lease agreements with agent Crown corporations
• improve government efficiency by reducing duplication and burden for central agencies and portfolio departments in reviewing submissions for these approvals
• allow Ministers to instead focus on higher-risk proposals

Context

The Lobbyists Registration Regulations prescribe how lobbyists are to fulfil their obligations under the Lobbying Act to register with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (“initial return”) and to file monthly reports on communications with designated public office holders (“monthly returns”). The Regulations also prescribe additional requirements for information that may need to be submitted. As such, the Regulations influence business processes that individuals, corporations, and organizations subject to the Act must establish to comply with the requirements of the Act. The Regulations have not been amended since 2012.

Actions

TBS will assess the Regulations to identify opportunities to modernize their registration requirements. TBS welcomes the announcement by the Commissioner of Lobbying, in her 2024–25 Annual Report to Parliament, that her Office intends to make recommendations in 2025–26 for regulatory updates. Any regulatory amendments that the Government of Canada may propose will take into consideration recommendations made by the Commissioner and other stakeholders.

Expected outcomes

Specific proposed updates, and their expected outcomes, would depend on the results of TBS’s assessment of current regulations. The objective of any proposed amendments would be to reduce administrative burden for individuals, corporations, and organizations subject to the Lobbying Act, including by looking for opportunities to streamline the registration process and harmonize with provincial and territorial lobbyist registration regimes. This would be achieved while continuing to meet the objectives of the Lobbying Act, including the public disclosure of lobbying activities.

Context

TBS oversees 17 regulations under the Financial Administration Act and related statutes that govern financial management processes such as fee administration, debt recovery, and financial oversight.

TBS has identified the following seven regulations as priorities for red tape reduction initiatives:

• Low-value Amounts Regulations (2015) – establishes rules for handling low-value financial amounts, including fee exemptions under the Service Fees Act
• Low-materiality Fees Regulations (2019) – governs low-materiality fees, exempting them from certain Service Fees Act requirements in order to streamline processes
• Interest and Administrative Charges Regulations (1996) – sets rules for applying interest and administrative charges on debts owed to the government, including repayment schedules
• Debt Write-off Regulations, 1994 – outlines procedures for writing off uncollectible debts owed to the government, including conditions for Treasury Board (TB) approval
• Garnishment and Attachment Regulations (1983) – regulates garnishment and attachment of funds owed to the government for debt recovery
• Public Officers Guarantee Regulations (2006) – historically provided guarantees for public officers handling government funds but may now be obsolete
• Security for Debts Due to Her Majesty Regulations (1987) – provides mechanisms for securing debts owed to the Crown, such as guarantees or collateral, but may now be obsolete

These initiatives target outward-facing regulations which burden the public, businesses, or the economy, or are outdated and contribute to regulatory clutter.

Actions

Regulatory amendments would be developed, targeting consideration by end of 2025:

• Low-value Amounts Regulations – terminology would be updated (such as replacing User Fees Act with Service Fees Act) or fee exceptions would be removed after a consultation to assess IT impacts.
• Low-materiality Fees Regulations – exemption criteria would be simplified, and reporting requirements would be reduced for federal organizations.
• Interest and Administrative Charges Regulations – provisions would be clarified (for example, fraud-related charges, repayment schedules) and digital banking would be integrated.
• Debt Write-off Regulations, 1994 – provisions would be clarified (for example, TB approval thresholds, collection actions) and thresholds would be adjusted based on economic data.
• Garnishment and Attachment Regulations – ownership would be confirmed (TBS or Public Services and Procurement Canada) and regulations would be streamlined by updating legal references.

In addition, the repeal of the Public Officers Guarantee Regulations and the Security for Debts Due to Her Majesty Regulations would be proposed if it is determined that they are obsolete. It is anticipated that a 30-day Canada Gazette consultation would be held in fall 2025.

Expected outcomes

Amendments to financial management regulations would be expected to result in streamlined fee and debt processes, and reduced complexity, uncertainty, administrative burden, and compliance costs (for example, simplified fee processes saving businesses an estimated 10% in processing time). Clearer debt provisions would be expected to reduce debtor inquiries.

Context

Ten financial management regulations not included in the previous item (such as, Cheque Issue Regulations, 1997, Electronic Payments Regulations) may warrant modernization. For example, the Revenue Trust Account Regulations (1983) may overlap with the Repayment of Receipts Regulations, 1997, suggesting duplication of regulatory requirements.

Actions

TBS will initiate a long-term review with the Receiver General for Canada by end of 2025 to assess modernization opportunities (such as digital tools for Electronic Payments Regulations) and evaluate overlap between the Revenue Trust Account Regulations and Repayment of Receipts Regulations, 1997. TBS will also coordinate with government IT and legal teams to assess system impacts and opportunities for regulatory efficiencies.

Expected Outcomes

This review could lead to enhanced internal efficiency (for example, reduced payment processing times by 5% through digital tools) and the potential elimination of duplicative regulations. Performance indicators would include reduced administrative costs, which would be tracked in 2026 reviews.

Context

Federal procurement is subject to legal requirements under the Government Contracts Regulations, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Procurement Inquiry Regulations, 11 international trade agreements, one domestic trade agreement, and common law.

For government and suppliers alike, this current regulatory regime can be complex and difficult to navigate. There is a need to simplify the rules while continuing to ensure that federal procurement remains fair, open, and transparent, both for Canadian suppliers and, where applicable, the suppliers of Canada’s trade partners.

Action

Currently, TBS and Public Services and Procurement Canada are exploring Harmonized Procurement Regulations that would consolidate all procurement obligations from common law, trade agreements, the Government Contracts Regulations, and any other relevant instruments into one comprehensive procurement regulation.

Expected outcomes

Implementing Canada’s procurement obligations through a single set of Harmonized Procurement Regulations will significantly simplify the procurement framework, reduce risk, and facilitate the achievement of procurement-related mandate commitments. Key objectives for this work include:

• reducing the administrative compliance burden on contracting authorities across the federal government, as well as suppliers across Canada who bid on and participate in federal procurements
• better positioning federal procurement to advance the national interest and key policy objectives (for example, prioritizing suppliers from Canada and from our reliable trading partners that provide reciprocal access to suppliers from Canada) by providing clarity and certainty on what is permitted
• clarifying legal rights and obligations with respect to procurement for departments and suppliers alike