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Released: 26 July, 1999
Revenue Canada On Track For November 1st Transition To The Canada Customs And Revenue Agency
Ottawa,
July 26, 1999...The Honourable Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of National Revenue and
M.P. (Vancouver South-Burnaby), today announced Revenue Canada is making
significant progress in its transition to the Canada
Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) on November 1, 1999.
Since the Government
introduced Bill C-43, the legislation creating the CCRA, department officials
have been working closely with the provinces and territories to identify
opportunities to use the CCRA to improve service delivery for their programs.
"Reducing duplication
between the levels of government makes excellent business sense," said Mr.
Dhaliwal. "As an agency, we will have the flexibility to deliver more
services for the provinces and territories -- even for those with different tax
formulas than the federal government."
Provinces have indicated
their support for the CCRA through cooperation on various projects. For example,
Revenue Canada has recently begun collecting provincial sales tax at border
crossings on behalf of Ontario and is working with British Columbia to implement
a similar program there. As of January 1, 2000, the CCRA will collect Workers
Compensation Board premiums for the province of Nova Scotia. In addition,
department officials are currently working with the government of Prince Edward
Island to explore options to reduce overlap in the delivery of tax and benefit
programs. Provincial child
benefit programs are now being delivered on behalf of a number of
governments, including Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Alberta, Saskatchewan and the
Northwest Territories.
A single tax administration
-- a one-stop tax window -- will reduce overlap and duplication between the
federal and provincial governments, which will, in turn, reduce the cost and
paper burden for businesses, taxpayers and governments. The Public Policy Forum
estimates that a single tax administration will save Canadian businesses between
$116 and $193 million and governments between $37 and $62 million annually.
Mr. Dhaliwal is pleased with
the progress on another front, as well: the nomination of the CCRA's Board of
Management. "We asked the provinces and territories for their nominations
and we're encouraged that all have responded," said Mr. Dhaliwal
The Board of Management, one
of the key features of the CCRA, will be composed of 15 individuals, 11 of whom
are to be nominated by the provinces and territories. The remaining board
members will include the Commissioner, Rob Wright (currently the Deputy
Minister), and three members nominated by the Minister of National Revenue. The
job of the board members will be to oversee the organization and business
management of the CCRA. However, unlike the boards of Crown corporations, this
board will not be involved in all the activities of the CCRA. In particular, the
CCRA board will not be directly involved in the administration and enforcement
of legislation, which includes the Income Tax Act and the Customs
Act, for which the Agency will remain directly accountable to the Minister
of National Revenue.
The Canada Customs and
Revenue Agency is being established by the Government to streamline tax, customs
and trade administration in Canada.
For media information
only, contact:
Michel Cléroux
Media Relations
Revenue Canada
(613) 957-3504
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