Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today concerns difficulties being faced by businesses situated on the Hay River Dene Reserve.
Mr. Speaker, the Hay River Dene Reserve is a separate community from the town of Hay River. However, when it comes to the application of the Business Incentive Policy, with respect to the Government of the Northwest Territories tendering practices, it would appear that they are the same community.
Specifically, this means that the Hay River Dene Reserve businesses do not benefit from local preference or Government of the NWT contracts bid out for services on the reserve. However, Mr. Speaker, the town of Hay River itself recognizes that the reserve is a separate community. It requires those businesses based on the reserve to have a non-resident business license when they do business in the town of Hay River.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the NWT should be encouraging businesses to grow and prosper on the reserve by applying a local preference policy to resident reserve business when they issue public tenders. In such a matter, they will create business opportunity, employment growth, and investment on the Hay River Dene Reserve.
Mr. Speaker, residents and business owners on the Hay River Reserve also find it difficult to access funds available through the Business Development Fund and the Business Credit Corporation. The town of Hay River is the second largest community in the North. They enjoy the luxury of many types of businesses and services.
Mr. Speaker, the criteria to access business development funding does not allow for market disruption, but what this interprets to is that the reserve cannot start up any businesses that compete with any business that exists in the town of Hay River.
Mr. Speaker, the lack of banking services on the reserve when the difficulties that the banking sector has with providing funding to on-reserve businesses make it especially important that the Government of the NWT provide financial alternatives.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development should play a major supporting role regarding development on the reserve. It should start by listening to the concerns of the residents and the leaders of the community, and translate what it hears into a committed plan of action that will foster and sustain economic development for the Hay River Dene Reserve. Thank you.
-- Applause