The province has met its goal of cutting red tape to business by 20 per cent, making it quicker and easier for Nova Scotia business owners to deal with the government. By offering more services online, making it easier to incorporate or renew a business, and offering businesses information from all three levels of government in one spot, the province has achieved goals set five years ago in its Better Regulation Initiative.

"Business owners don't want to spend their time filling out forms or standing in line to submit them," said Premier Darrell Dexter. "They want to focus on building new markets, improving service and employing more Nova Scotians, which is what we want too. The more successful the province's businesses are, the more successful the province is overall."

The premier spoke to members of the federation at a meeting in Halifax on January 10th, 2011.

He said Nova Scotia businesses spend an estimated 615,000 hours completing paperwork for provincial departments. A 20 per cent cut means businesses are now spending 123,000 fewer hours per year filling out government forms.

Read more: gov.ns.ca

With files from the Nova Scotia Come to life's Friends of Nova Scotia Newsletter and gov.ns.ca