Surrey, White Rock businesses wrapped up in government red tape
Published 2:36 pm Friday, October 30, 2026
The Surrey-White Rock Board of Trade’s latest red tape report indicates almost half of local businesses lose more than 300 hours each year on government compliance.
Aman Parmar, SWRBOT’s policy advisor, said the 2026 survey results reveal that 41 per cent of respondents reported not knowing if they are required to report the same information to multiple agencies, “highlighting the need for better coordination and clearer processes.”
Among survey highlights are that 68 per cent of respondents reported a “moderate or major impact from regulatory compliance,” that 46 per cent spend at least six hours each week dealing with this and 16 per cent spend more than 20 hours.
The 35-page report does not reveal how many respondents there were. The Now-Leader has reached out to SWRBOT for clarification.
It indicates that in Surrey the most frequently identified city red tape hassles involved building permits, development and amenity cost charges, and engineering services and development applications while in White Rock, building permits ranked the highest at 46 per cent.
Meantime, B.C.’s new Premier Lorne Doerkson promised on the Surrey campaign trail on October 7 that his government will pass a new law to reduce “unnecessary and onerous” red tape that will require the elimination of two regulations for every new regulation introduced.