EDMONTON — A recent Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC) survey reveals reducing direct costs is a top priority for Alberta business operators. This finding came about through a short pulse survey conducted through the ACC's Alberta Perspectives market research program.

The survey related to pillar one of the ACC's municipal Vote Prosperity campaign: strengthening business competitiveness. Respondents were asked to rank their top three priorities from a list of four: reducing direct costs, improving business services, improving certainty/reducing complexity, and improving consultation.

Sixty-one per cent of the 260 respondents identified reducing direct costs like property taxes and utility franchise fees and as their top priority. Eighty-eight per cent listed this priority among their top three.

"This survey finding reflects the continuously increasing costs of doing business in Alberta," says ACC President and CEO Ken Kobly. "It's telling of the current economic climate that more than half of survey respondents agree reducing direct costs is their number one competitiveness priority of the issues surveyed."

A short survey on pillar two: growing business partnerships is now live at albertaperspectives.ca/c/r/VP2021pillar2.

More information on the Vote Prosperity campaign is available at abchamber.ca/vote-prosperity-2021.

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