Ontario is proposing to merge two government agencies into a single organization that would save Ontarians an estimated $5 million annually. This move is intended to reduce waste, eliminate duplication and result in stronger oversight, transparency and accountability.
The government will introduce legislation that, if passed, would result in the consolidation of Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and the Ontario Realty Corporation (ORC) into one agency responsible for:
- Developing, approving and managing provincial infrastructure projects
- Providing infrastructure-related loans to various public sector clients, such as municipalities
- Managing the province’s real estate services and transactions, and
- Overseeing the government’s accommodation needs and maintaining government properties and assets, including land and buildings.
The move results from the government’s commitment to reduce the number of agencies by five per cent, and builds on previous action to find savings.
“This is another step we are taking to find savings and to get more value out of every taxpayer dollar. These savings are being redirected from the back office to front lines of the schools and hospitals Ontario families depend on. In lean times, we must all refocus our priorities,” said Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance.
“Across Ontario we are building new schools, new hospitals and fixing the roads and bridges that get us to work or school and back. Becoming more efficient can only help us improve the way we deliver services for families across the province,” said Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure.
- To date, more than $260 million in potential savings has been found as a result of a major review of government programs and services.
- Ontario has the second lowest spending per capita on general government services among Canadian provinces.
- Ontario has more than 250 government agencies, some over a century old.
- The ORC currently manages one of the largest real estate portfolios in Canada, consisting of about 6,000 buildings and structures, and more than 80,000 acres of land in Ontario.
- Since 2005, IO has brought to market 52 infrastructure projects worth more than $21 billion. This includes 35 hospital projects, plus justice, transportation, and green infrastructure projects. IO has also approved more than $4 billion in affordable loans for municipalities and other eligible recipients.