Regional economic development boosted by trade agreement exceptions

The Government of Yukon is using all 10 of its one-million-dollar exceptions under the trade agreements signed last year to bolster regional economic development.

Yukon is the first jurisdiction in the country to use this provision.

Under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, Yukon is one of eight jurisdictions in Canada that can use methods outside the procurement rules in that agreement for a limited number of procurements. The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement provides a similar exception for regional economic development.

These goods, services and construction procurements range in value from approximately $350,000 to $650,000, totalling around $4.4 million. These projects were selected for their potential to provide local employment, opportunities for skill development and other economic benefits to five Yukon communities.

The tender bidding is limited to invited Yukon companies for 2017–18. Later this spring, input from industry and First Nations will be sought to help refine the criteria and the procurement approach for selecting and tendering projects for the 2018–19 fiscal year.