Thank you.
I would agree with the previous speaker, my friend Ms. Yip, that it is good to have a report before us highlighting a successful program, one that delivered for many Canadians across the country in a time of need and for which I have seen very little controversy in my preliminary overview of the report.
I do want to zero in, though, on some of the processing questions. Section 4.32 states that “First-level agents at the CRA were required to complete the initial processing of benefit applications in approximately 5 minutes. In this very limited time, they were expected to enter information from a paper application into an electronic database. The system logic then made the decision whether to approve the application, deny it, or refer the application to a higher level for further assessment.”
Why are the agents expected to complete the initial processing in five minutes? Is this a reasonable time, or could it lead to errors in inputting information?