Introduction

The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) was created in November 1999 as a way to provide better service to Canadians. There has been significant change in our organization since that time, as we seek to take full advantage of the flexibilities of agency status. But our basic raison-d'être, or mission, did not change when we became an agency two years ago.

The CCRA's mission is to promote compliance with Canada's tax, trade, and border legislation and regulations through communication, quality service, and responsible enforcement, thereby contributing to the economic and social well-being of Canadians. Our overall approach is based on the belief that most people will voluntarily comply with the law when given the opportunity. To promote compliance, we use a mix of service and enforcement strategies, all of which are backed by sound risk management.

As an agency, we have a unique opportunity to do our job smarter-to be more innovative. That is precisely what we aim to do with the implementation of our plan.

As an agency, we have a unique opportunity to do our job smarter-to be more innovative. That is precisely what we aim to do with the implementation of our plan. This business plan, our third, builds on past progress and will take us to the next phase in our evolution. It is also an important tool for communicating to Canadians, our federal and provincial partners, and staff where we are headed and how we will get there.

Innovation at the CCRA is being pursued in keeping with the four change objectives set out in our previous plan: 1) transformation of our core business; 2) human resources reform and renewal; 3) administrative reform and renewal; and 4) transparent management for results. Our number-one objective, business transformation, is all about providing the best possible service to Canadians. The last three objectives are designed to strengthen our internal capacities for delivering on this service commitment.

We will stay on course with these four change objectives as our guide, but also continue to respond quickly and effectively to new priorities. Innovations, planned or already underway, will increasingly be incorporated into our day-to-day interactions with Canadians. In implementing our plan, we will make the best possible use of public funds, including the additional resources flowing from the 2000 Resource and Management Review and the more recent 2001 Federal Budget Plan.

Date modified:

2002-03-21