Ottawa too secretive with government contracts, business groups say

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More disclosure could level playing field for small companies to compete for contracts against larger rivals, businesses say

Ottawa is too secretive with the details of government contracts, a tendency that undermines public trust and makes it harder for innovative companies to compete with larger rivals, business groups say.

But business groups say these documents are often heavily redacted, which makes it hard to know how public money is being spent. Benjamin Bergen, president of the Council of Canadian Innovators, said more disclosure could level the playing field for small firms competing for contracts against larger rivals that are often foreign-owned and have large government-relations teams.

Sometimes, a government institution will disclose the total amount of a contract but withhold the details of how a bidder arrived at that price. For example, earlier this year The Globewith Export Development Canada to find the accounting for its contract with Accenture Inc. to deliver the Canada Emergency Business Account program. EDC’s release revealed that the contract was worth $146-million up to the end of March.

In response to concerns about that contract and other outsourcing, the government has said it is working to improve how contracting information is posted online.

 

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