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Canada’s largest small business advocacy group says many entrepreneurs remain frustrated with federal policies after Parliament adjourned for the summer without introducing significant measures aimed at easing pressures on small businesses.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) said a majority of small business owners continue to feel unsupported by the federal government amid rising operating costs and ongoing economic uncertainty.
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According to a CFIB survey, 73 per cent of small businesses do not feel supported by Ottawa.
“Parliament may be taking a summer break, but small business owners don’t get one,” Corinne Pohlmann, CFIB’s executive vice-president of advocacy, said in a statement.
The federation said many small businesses continue to face pressure from fuel costs, taxation and broader economic uncertainty.
Its survey found 58 per cent of respondents are concerned about rising fuel costs, while 48 per cent said taxes are squeezing already thin profit margins.
Another 43 per cent cited economic and political uncertainty, along with other operating expenses, as major challenges affecting their businesses.
The organization acknowledged some measures introduced by the federal government this spring, including a reduction in Canada Pension Plan premiums and making the Employee Ownership Trust tax exemption permanent.
However, CFIB said those changes did not go far enough to address broader concerns facing small firms.
The survey also suggests confidence among business owners remains subdued.
More than half of respondents, 55 per cent, said they would not recommend starting a business in the current environment.
Jasmin Guenette, CFIB’s vice-president of national affairs, said Canada is facing an entrepreneurial slowdown and needs policies that encourage business growth.
“Small firms need meaningful tax relief, less red tape, and a government that acts,” Guenette said.
The federation is calling on the federal government to make small business support a priority when Parliament returns in the fall.
Among its recommendations are reducing the federal small business tax rate from nine per cent to six per cent, increasing the small business deduction threshold to $700,000, creating a lower Employment Insurance premium rate for smaller employers and introducing a two-for-one approach to reducing federal regulations.
CFIB represents more than 103,000 small and medium-sized businesses across Canada.
The survey was conducted online between April 9 and April 27 and included responses from 1,611 business owners. The results carry a margin of error of plus or minus 2.44 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
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