The purpose of the proposed Saskatchewan business competitiveness study is to identify the existing barriers to competitiveness (taxation, regulatory, trade, infrastructure, labour market, etc.) that currently constrain businesses operating in the province and prevent them from scaling up. After identifying the existing competitiveness barriers through consultation with key business stakeholders, the results would then be synthesized and a written report containing a prioritized list of high-level policy recommendations would be communicated to the Government of Saskatchewan, Government of Canada, SCC members, the media, and the general public. A study on Saskatchewan business competitiveness is both timely and relevant and the aims of the study are consistent with the mission of the SCC as outlined in the 2019-2021 Strategic Plan.
An important consideration is that a considerable amount of work has been done on the issue of business competitiveness already. Furthermore, the study will evaluate the areas in which Saskatchewan performs well, and where there is room for improvement. Most of the attention however will be focused on areas where Saskatchewan could improve its competitiveness position. The value add for the Saskatchewan business community primarily is in identifying the existing gaps, why they still exist, and tailoring both the scope of the study and its recommendations to be Saskatchewan business-specific.
The purpose of the Ad-Hoc Expert Advisory Committee is to answer questions four and five in the Research Questions section of the Research Proposal <insert link to Research Proposal document>. The committee is comprised of prominent and respected business thinkers known to the Saskatchewan Chamber Network in order to lend legitimacy to the policy recommendations developed and to attract sponsorship dollars. The committee would synthesize the existing research and earlier findings with the collective insights and observations of the committee. The main objective of the Ad-Hoc Expert Advisory Committee is to complement (but not duplicate) any previous efforts.
Read more on the Business Competitiveness Study here.
