Canadian manufacturers call on Harper to address concerns

Representatives from some of Canadas leading value-added industries are asking Prime Minister Stephen Harper to implement a ten-point plan for action in support of Canadian manufacturing.

The group which includes such plastics industry veterans as Horst Schmidt, president of the Canadian Tooling and Machining Association; and Serge Lavoie, president and CEO of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) is also urging the Prime Minister to make manufacturing a priority in his Speech from the Throne, and to implement a series of 22 recommendations contained in a report tabled earlier this year by a House of Commons committee.

The ten-point plan, included in an open letter sent by the group to the Prime Minister, outlines the following priorities for action in support of Canadian manufacturing:

1) Allow companies to take advantage of the two-year depreciation for manufacturing and processing machinery and equipment for a period of at least five years, as recommended by the House of Commons committee.

2) Make Scientific Research & Experimental Development Tax Credits refundable and improve the consistency of SR&ED administration.

3) Introduce an Employers Training Tax Credit to encourage businesses to increase investments in maintaining and upgrading the skills and capabilities of their workforce.

4) Take every opportunity to create a competitive regulatory environment in Canada by simplifying regulations, building enabling regulatory frameworks, reducing the cost of regulatory compliance, eliminating duplication and inconsistencies in regulatory requirements, and eliminating regulatory restrictions on trade and labour mobility across Canada.

5) Ensure that Canadas trading partners fulfill their obligations under our existing trade agreements.

6) Pursue and conclude multilateral, regional, and bilateral trade and investment agreements that can guarantee effective access into international markets for Canadian exporters through the elimination of both tariff and non-tariff, regulatory barriers to Canadian exports and investment, and ensure fair resolution of trade and investment disputes.

7) Respond to the skill shortages that Canadian businesses are facing by encouraging closer collaboration between industry and our universities and colleges.

8) Expedite investments in borders, security, and transportation infrastructure based on a national logistics strategy aimed at ensuring the efficient flow of goods between Canada and the United States, while making Canada the preferred logistics hub for trade between North America and the rest of the world.

9) Use government procurement to leverage business opportunities and encourage innovation on the part of Canadian industry.

10) Play a leadership role in making the investments and expediting the regulatory processes required to ensure that Canadian industry has access to reliable and cost competitive energy supplies now and in the future.

The group also calls on the Federal Government to lower the tax burden placed on business investment, which they describe as one of the highest in the world.

The text of the complete letter can be found on the CPIAs website.