On April 7, 2021, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) announces a new edition of Directive 067. This Directive now allows the AER to request information from companies about unpaid municipal taxes and surface lease payments when determining if a company is eligible to hold a license, or if the applicant, licensee, or approval holder poses an “unreasonable risk”.
“We are very pleased to pass along this great news story,” stated Reeve Josh Bishop. “The AER decision to contemplate unpaid taxes and lease payments in their decision making process will help level the playing field and hold companies accountable for their obligations. This change is a direct result of continued and collaborative advocacy efforts. Thank you to everyone who worked alongside us to get this much needed change implemented.”
Although this announcement is good news. The County of Wetaskiwin shares the questions posed by the Rural Municipalities of Alberta regarding how this Directive 067 will be implemented.
- How and to what extent will unpaid taxes be considered in the license approval process?
- How important will unpaid taxes be as a risk factor compared to other risk factors?
- How will municipalities and the AER effectively communicate to ensure that unpaid tax information is consistent, accurate, and up to date?
- How will the inclusion of unpaid taxes as a risk factor address situations in which individuals jump from company to company and repeatedly ignore municipal tax payment requirements?
For more information on Directive 067 visit Alberta Energy Regulator Bulletin 2021-11.
