“SMEs in our region are making a strong appeal to the Quebec government: they want them to be present and, above all, to prioritize their concerns in decisions that will lead to economic recovery,” said Francois Vincent, Vice President. Quebec to CFIB. (Image courtesy)

Small and medium businesses in remote regions appear to be more dissatisfied with regional economic development policies in Quebec than those in large centers and their vicinity, according to a report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) on Monday.

The further one is from the central regions, the more entrepreneurs perceive the country as insensitive enough to their realities. Thus, 68% of SME owners surveyed by CFIB in Bas-St-Laurent, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Côte-Nord, Nord-du-Québec, Gaspésie-les-de -la-Madeleine believe that the government is less sensitive or insensitive at all to the reality of SMEs in the regions. In the central regions and its neighbors, half of the SMEs share the same opinion.

“SMEs in our region are making a strong appeal to the Quebec government: they want them to be present and, above all, to prioritize their concerns in decisions that will lead to economic recovery,” said Francois Vincent, Vice President. From Quebec to CFIB, with a press release.

Of the four drivers proposed in the survey, entrepreneurs primarily prefer allowing regions to play a role in setting economic priorities (71%), before reaching independent regional investment funds (62%), and increasing local and regional stakeholder involvement in the region. Economic development (58%) and adopting policies and programs compatible with the needs of each region (56%).

According to the study, this desire to “regionalize” state support is again supported in more remote areas than in those near large urban centers.

Ensuring high-speed internet access (78%) is a regional economic priority, followed by the implementation of measures that facilitate succession of entrepreneurs (76%) as well as measures to respond to labor shortages work through improved training offer (70%) and immigration localization (59%).

Next year, the government’s strategy to ensure the occupation and vitality of the territories will end. This is an opportunity to seize to develop and unveil a new strategy that meets the needs of SMEs, making the core of our regional economies beat faster, ”said Francois Vincent.

The results of this study were obtained through an online survey of 997 CFIB members in Quebec from January 12-31.