Evidence of meeting #8 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was business.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC
Since it's been up, have you received comments from small and medium enterprises after they used the site to access the marketplaces?
Director General, Acquisitions Branch - Office of Small and Medium Enterprises, Department of Public Works and Government Services
We interact with small and medium enterprises every day. We receive a lot of comments in writing and through our 1-800 number. We help them navigate the federal systems. The comments have been very good. It helps us develop the website. As long as small and medium enterprises are sharing their ideas with us, we will incorporate them into the system. For example, people wanted the list of government standing offers that already exist, and quite recently we were able to post that list on the website, so that everyone could see it.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC
Have you seen an increase in the number of small and medium enterprises that have access to the Canadian government because of your website?
Director General, Acquisitions Branch - Office of Small and Medium Enterprises, Department of Public Works and Government Services
It's difficult to make a link between those numbers and the success of the website. But based on the surveys done with clients, small and medium enterprises, we have about a 95% rate of satisfaction.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC
Have you been able to see whether this has enabled a new generation of entrepreneurs—younger and more skilled at using the Web—succeed in becoming new suppliers?
Director General, Acquisitions Branch - Office of Small and Medium Enterprises, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I do not have access to sufficient survey data to answer that. So my reply will come in the form of my impressions.
In the area of technology, there is enormous enthusiasm for what we are doing because it really ties in with the government's objective of
open data and open government.
It also encourages Internet use, which makes interaction with the marketplace easier. In other areas too, entrepreneurs find that it is much easier to work via the Internet from where they are. This website makes it easier to work with them and it is much appreciated.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC
Before the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises was created, you must have had a list of potential suppliers. Has that list been expanded? Is there a greater range of suppliers, better distributed across Canada?
Director General, Acquisitions Branch - Office of Small and Medium Enterprises, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Yes and no. The problem is that our information gathering is not as good as we would like. Often, we do not ask suppliers for personal information, which would tell us whether we were dealing with a diversified population. But we are trying to do so more and more so that we can get more in-depth data.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC
You have regional offices providing services to small and medium enterprises. Do they allow more entrepreneurs in those cities to have access to the goods and services that the Government of Canada needs there, whether it is Vancouver or anywhere else? Do you feel that the regional offices have given local businesses access to the marketplace?
Director General, Acquisitions Branch - Office of Small and Medium Enterprises, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Yes, that has been the case, both in cities and in more rural areas. Our regional offices are in big cities but people travel all through their regions in order to provide the services widely. Things have gone very well in small towns and villages; a lot of associations, such as chambers of commerce for example, are involved.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC
So it has allowed some regions to create jobs that did not exist at all before.
Director General, Acquisitions Branch - Office of Small and Medium Enterprises, Department of Public Works and Government Services
We hope so, yes.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC
Thank you very much.
Do I have any time left?
Conservative
NDP
Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC
I would also like to thank you for being with us today and for providing us with this very useful information. We are talking about a service that is absolutely essential, especially in ridings like mine.
But as you know, last June, the government announced budget cuts in the public service. At Public Works and Government Services Canada, 700 jobs were scheduled to be eliminated. I imagine that is a concern for you. Given that, in my opinion, the service you provide is essential, do you have plans in case you are affected by those cuts?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
No, we do not anticipate cuts in agencies that support SMEs. The cuts are in services that have run their course and are no longer used.
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Certainly; but the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises is not affected by the strategic review.
NDP
Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC
Very well.
In my riding, there is another concern with regard to your definition of what is a small or medium business. I am not certain that the smaller businesses are deriving any benefit from that definition. You probably hear that comment continually. It is not new.
In its definition of small and medium businesses, the European Union refers to 250 employees. Quebec has set the maximum number of employees at 500, but it also takes turnover into account.
I would like to know whether, regarding companies that have availed themselves of your services, that definition is revised or reassessed on an annual basis. Are you sure that small businesses really benefit from the limit being set at 500 employees? And finally, have you considered adding a criterion that would take turnover into account?
Director General, Acquisitions Branch - Office of Small and Medium Enterprises, Department of Public Works and Government Services
When we are asked that question, we answer that we use the definition provided by Industry Canada. It states that a small business has fewer than 100 employees, while a medium business has fewer than 500 employees. At the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises, we believe that our mission is to help entrepreneurs, whatever the size of their business. We are there to help them. We almost never ask them how many employees they have. We consider that the needs are the same whether the business has a single employee, five employees or 100 of them. Our mission is to help the country's businesses. And so we don't review the figures since we don't consider the number of employees. We want to help all of the businesses. We encourage all of them to contact us.
Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC
Do you encourage even businesses that have more than 500 employees?
Director General, Acquisitions Branch - Office of Small and Medium Enterprises, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Yes, we encourage even those. We would not like to see the federal government only provide help to businesses so long as they only have 500 employees, but no longer help them the day they have 510 employees, if they were being successful. The truth is that we try to help all businesses.
Moreover, it must be said that 98% or 99% of all Canadian businesses are SMEs. Given that percentage, it is reasonable to conclude that we help all businesses.
