Improving Service to Canadians

We have aggressively pursued a change agenda to stay in step with technology, business and management practices, government priorities, and Canadians' evolving expectations for service. Our strategy has been to simplify and streamline processes for low-risk taxpayers, travellers, and traders, while more effectively targeting and addressing areas of higher risk. An important element of this strategy has been the introduction of new technologies. In support of the Government On-Line initiative, we continue to be a leader in providing e-government services to Canadians. Our investments in automated systems and tools are paying dividends. For instance, the growing popularity of electronic tax filing is resulting in faster service, improved accuracy, and greater efficiency. Although we have not yet achieved our goal for the majority of all returns to be filed electronically, the trend is positive. In addition, more Canadians every year are taking advantage of our expanding range of self-service Internet options for obtaining the information they need and maintaining their accounts without having to call for help. At the border, permit and pre-approval programs (such as CANPASS, NEXUS, and Free and Secure Trade) are helping to expedite the passage of low-risk travellers and goods.

We have also made important strides in improving our core processes, most notably in the areas of telephone accessibility, GST/HST returns, processing T2 corporate returns, and the length of time to resolve appeals cases. We have improved our overall performance against our service standards and internal performance targets, although we still fall short of expectations in some areas.

Date modified:

2003-10-29