The federal government has set a 100-day deadline for the Canada Revenue Agency to resolve widespread service complaints and delays. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, in a letter to the chair of Parliament’s finance committee, acknowledged that the CRA has fallen short of Canadians’ expectations, particularly at its call centres where long wait times have become the norm.
Champagne said he has directed the agency to take concrete steps to improve service, which could involve reallocating or hiring staff and expanding digital options to ease access for taxpayers. He promised regular updates to Parliament on the agency’s progress.
The push comes even as Ottawa prepares for significant cuts to the public service. The Union of Taxation Employees warned that more than 3,000 CRA jobs have already been eliminated since May of last year and cautioned that further reductions would make service even worse.
Champagne and CRA officials are expected to testify before the finance committee in the coming weeks to detail the plan to get the agency back on track.