Following the provincial government’s announcement of a proof of vaccination program, the BC Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Fiona Famulak issued a statement saying they had called for such a program last week, and are pleased to see it get rolled out in September.
Famulak said the Chamber urged the provincial government to introduce a proof of vaccination program to “help return certainty and predictability to the business environment and keep businesses open.”
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The BC Chamber also said that while this is an important step towards helping businesses keep their employees and patrons safe, the way the program works needs to be “carefully decided.”
Newly elected Kimberley and District Chamber of Commerce president Matt Lamb said the BC Chamber’s advocacy with the provincial government has been guided by local chamber members throughout B.C.
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“We feel they have done an excellent job representing their members and advocating for policies which address the concerns of our membership,” Lamb said. “However, as noted by the BC Chamber, this is not a simple or clear-cut policy and businesses may well be subject to unanticipated difficulties as a result.”
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The BC Chamber said it’s “not appropriate” to place the burden of enforcing public health initiatives squarely on the backs of businesses and frontline workers.
“We are here to provide insight from business, and we invite government to work with us on these details to ensure a fair program is achieved,” they said. “The BC Chamber of Commerce will continue to support businesses across British Columbia as we navigate this next step.”
Lamb said the Kimberley Chamber will continue to seek feedback from its membership regarding any concerns they have and advocate for them to guarantee those concerns are included in subsequent policy discussions.
paul.rodgers@kimberleybulletin
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