As the voice of business in 91原创, the Greater 91原创 Chamber of Commerce is often heard well beyond municipal boundaries, chamber president Jack Nicholson says.

Recently, a push by the 91原创 and Abbotsford chambers to have customs agents end a practice that allows many cross-border shoppers to escape taxes was taken up by both the B.C. and Canadian Chambers, and became a national issue.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just the 91原创 Chamber saying this is an issue, it鈥檚 all the chambers coming together,鈥� Nicholson said.

A resolution adopted by both the B.C. and Canadian chambers said communities at border crossings are losing money because day-trippers who should pay taxes often get waved through without paying.

That鈥檚 thanks to a border agency policy that aims to reduce costs and save time by waiving charges when the value of purchases is below a certain, undisclosed, threshold.

It amounts to a 鈥渃onsistent pattern of non-collection of taxes and duties鈥� that creates a further incentive for residents to choose cross border shopping and puts Canadian retailers at an unfair disadvantage and results in a significant economic loss to border communities, the resolution said.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 load up $600 of groceries and not expect to pay taxes, in my opinion,鈥� Nicholson said.

To fix the problem, the resolution calls on Ottawa to take step to improve border collection, and suggests a self-reporting model where shoppers must declare and pay taxes and border personnel perform random checks.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just to bash the government, but to work with them on solutions,鈥� Nicholson said.

By working with other chambers, 91原创 concerns get more clout when they are supported by the provincial and national bodes, Nicholson said.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I love being part of the chamber,鈥� Nicholson said.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e passionate about an issue for the community, there are so many opportunities to get involved.鈥�

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Nicholson encouraged people considering membership to view the chamber as more than a business networking opportunity.

鈥淚f there鈥檚 something you see missing from your community, get involved,鈥� Nicholson said.

Last year, the Greater 91原创 Chamber authored or supported 11 successful policies adopted at the B.C. Chamber annual general meeting in Kamloops.

Issues advocated by the 1,000-plus member 91原创 chamber included a warming about a $15 minimum wage in B.C.

鈥淚 agree that we want to be fair to our employees,鈥� Nicholson said, 鈥渂ut there are a lot of small businesses [that] just can鈥檛 afford to pay a 16-year-old student $15 an hour for an entry-level job.鈥�

Greater 91原创 and other members of the B.C. Chamber鈥檚 province-wide membership passed a policy calling for minimum wage increases to be linked to the consumer price index to bring stability and predictability to the increases and protect B.C. businesses from the fallout of sudden, unexpected hikes.

As well, the 91原创 chamber has supported a Burnaby Board of trade resolution that suggests the provincial government should rethink a new employer health tax, suggesting measures such as raising the minimum payroll threshold to prevent undue negative impacts on small organizations.

As it stands it will be a 鈥渟ignificant hit,鈥� Nicholson said.

鈥淚鈥檓 not sure they [the government] thought through their policies.鈥�

Greater 91原创 Chamber of Commerce has also called on the federal government to make clean technology, including renewable energy production and the manufacture of renewable energy producing products like solar panels and wind turbines, a 鈥渉igh priority鈥� in an effort to grow a diversified economy.

It has also called for internet voting by the 2022 municipal election, saying allowing online ballots would reduce potential barriers and improve engagement, and the province should set up an independent technical committee to evaluate online voting systems to ensure Elections BC criteria are met, including accessibility, ballot anonymity, and voter authentication and authorization.

This year, Nicholson said, the chamber plans to tackle new isues such as the lack of industrial land in 91原创 and other Metro Vancouver communities as well as the impact of the renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement and other trade deals on local business.