A6

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Business New Brunswick Minister Victor Boudreau wants to meet with stakeholders to discuss how his department can be improved. It shouldn't take that long for his officials to come up with a strategy: the New Brunswick Business Council, Conseil Economique, industry associations and policy analysts have been telling the department for months what would work better and why.

The minister and his staff don't need to solicit more advice. They need to digest the advice the department has already been given, and take action.

Stakeholders from across the business spectrum have advised Business New Brunswick to:

*examine economic development models used in Nova Scotia, Maine and Quebec;

*hire experienced public-sector managers and pay them according to their success in attracting investment;

*rationalize the funding application process;

*make decisions based upon return on investment; and

*make the development of new economic sectors a priority.

Most of these requests come down to wise and efficient use of resources. Business New Brunswick suffers from a bureaucratic mindset. Work gets done "on government time," without sufficient regard for the conditions businesses are enduring. The department's staffers get paid the same, whether the businesses they fund succeed or fail. They have a mandate, but no incentive to do better.

Organizations such as Nova Scotia Business Inc. have demonstrated that better results are possible. An arms' length agency, employing skilled analysts who are paid for results, can move make better business funding decisions.

That's what Business New Brunswick needs, so the department can move beyond dealing with crises and help entrepreneurs build a stronger provincial economy.