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Released: 09 February, 1999
Revenue Canada Releases Fairness Plan
Ottawa, February 9,
1999...The Honourable Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of National Revenue and M.P.
(Vancouver South-Burnaby), today issued Setting A New Standard: A 7-Point
Plan For Fairness to enhance Revenue Canada's capacity to provide Canadians
with fair treatment. Accompanying the plan is Our Fairness Pledge, which commits
Revenue Canada to continued fair treatment of its clients.
Under the plan, Revenue
Canada will better equip its employees so the Department can provide quality
client services, strengthen its communications, including its guides and
publications, and improve the processes that have an impact on how fairly it
treats its clients.
"Fairness lies at the
very heart of how Revenue Canada deals with Canadians," said Mr. Dhaliwal.
"I want to make sure that Canadians know that they can expect to be treated
fairly when they deal with Revenue Canada. We must have Canadians' confidence if
we are to maintain the high level of voluntary compliance with tax and customs
laws that Canadians currently demonstrate."
To arrive at the 7-Point
Plan, Revenue Canada talked to its clients, consulted its managers and staff,
and examined the fairness practices of customs and revenue organizations in
other countries. The Conference Board of Canada was asked, as an independent
third-party, to help collect information and analyze the opinions gathered. The
Conference Board report, At the Heart of Fairness: Achieving Revenue
Canada's Commitment to Fairness Through Service, summarizes the results of
these consultations.
"We involved the
Conference Board because we wanted a transparent process that would address
Canadians' concerns directly," Mr. Dhaliwal added. "I am very grateful
to the Conference Board for the effort that they have put into this
project."
"The Conference Board
report shows that we have been doing a good job on fairness and states that we
are well-regarded both domestically and internationally 'as a leader, an
innovator, and an effective organization,'" Mr. Dhaliwal noted.
"However, we cannot be complacent and the 7-Point Plan For Fairness commits
us to do more. Now that we have the plan, we will develop strategies to
implement each of the seven steps."
Setting A New Standard: A
7-Point Plan For Fairness is available from Revenue Canada offices, and can be accessed from the
"What's new" page of Revenue Canada's Web site at: /menu/EmenuBAA.html
The Conference Board report, At
The Heart Of Fairness; Achieving Revenue Canada's Commitment to Fairness Through
Service, is available on Revenue Canada's Web site and on the Conference
Board of Canada Web site at: http://www2.conferenceboard.ca/pubs/fairness/fair-e.htm
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For media information
contact:
Colette Gentes-Hawn
Media Relations
(613) 957-3522
or
Office of the Minister
of National Revenue
(613) 995-7018
07T/99
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