At the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s annual general meeting (AGM), held September 28 to 30, 2013 in Kelowna, B.C., the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce (GOCC) supported by the Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, submitted a resolution, entitled Facilitating Structural Change in Canadian Manufacturing. This resolution dealt with the issue of putting in place Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance (ACCA) and recommended that the federal government:
• make the Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance a permanent component of the national tax system;
• encourage regional economic development agencies to follow the lead of FedDev Ontario and provide designated funding for manufacturing innovation; and
• work with provincial/territorial governments to develop a blueprint for manufacturing competitiveness. The blueprint will seek to create a world-class manufacturing sector and companies that are leading innovators, expand access to global markets and supply chains, and ensure access to a highly skilled workforce.
GOCC Chamber Vice President John Sturrup and CEO Bob Malcolmson attended the AGM and are pleased to report that Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance (ACCA) was also of importance to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and its network of chambers of commerce and boards of trade across Canada. At the AGM, the resolution was approved by over 400 delegates from chambers of commerce and boards of trade, representing 200,000 Canadian businesses. The resolution now forms a policy position of the Canadian Chamber and its members and will be pursued with the federal government over the coming months.
For more than eighty-five years the GOCC has been providing positive leadership in support of its members and business and speaks to proactively and constructively express the views of the business community on matters of relevance to Oshawa, Clarington and Durham Region to all levels of Government. Two other resolutions, currently policy of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, from the GOCC are The Future of Canadian Nuclear Reseach & Development and Nuclear Research and Development in Canada.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the vital connection between business and the federal government. It helps shape public policy and decision-making to the benefit of businesses, communities and families across Canada with a network of over 450 chambers of commerce and boards of trade, representing 200,000 businesses of all sizes in all sectors of the economy and in all regions. News and information are available at www.chamber.ca or follow the Canadian Chamber on Twitter @CdnChamberofCom or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CanadianChamberofCommerce.
