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From a press release
CHARLOETTETOWN, PEI: The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is urging the federal and provincial governments to move swiftly on their commitment to reduce and ideally remove, tolls on the Confederation Bridge, a long-standing barrier to trade and mobility for Prince Edward Island entrepreneurs.
According to a CFIB member survey, 76% of PEI small businesses expressed a desire for complete toll elimination as the best option to alleviate the impact of transportation costs on their businesses.
In a letter sent to Minister of Transport and Internal Trade Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy Dominic LeBlanc, Premier Rob Lantz, and all four PEI Members of Parliament, CFIB emphasized the need for:
Urgency: A new toll schedule announced, and put in place, ideally on July 1, 2025, allowing businesses to plan for the summer season, and plan future long-term investments. This would also solidify nation-wide efforts in galvanizing the elimination of internal trade barriers by July 1, 2025.
Fairness: The same rate reduction (or elimination) for passenger vehicles should also apply to commercial trucks, work vans and passenger cars alike, ensuring builders, retailers, food processors and tourism operators all benefit.
Certainty: A clearly worded regulation or statute confirming the change is permanent, not a temporary holiday that could vanish in a future budget.
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“Every truckload of construction materials or restaurant supplies that crosses the Strait under the current toll rates, inflates the cost of doing business on PEI,” said Frédéric Gionet, CFIB Director for PEI/Atlantic.
“Rapid, permanent toll reductions or better yet, full elimination, as it was clearly expressed by business owners, would send an unmistakable signal that governments are serious about tearing down internal trade barriers.”
Removing this cost would level the playing field with firms in the rest of Canada and encourage greater labour mobility, investment, and tourism.
“Small businesses plan and invest on multi-year horizons,” added Gionet. “They need certainty that tomorrow’s cost structure won’t change overnight.
“Locking in a permanent toll reduction is critical to giving entrepreneurs the confidence to hire, expand and compete.”
CFIB stands ready to work with federal and provincial leaders to mark this milestone and ensure the policy delivers maximum benefit to the Island’s small-business employees and the broader Atlantic economy.
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