The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is highlighting the problems arising from unnecessary government regulations for an 11th straight year.

Red-Tape Awareness Weeks begins today (Mon) with the nominees for the most ridiculous examples of red-tape. The winner the Paperweight Award will be announced Friday.

Prairie Senior Policy Analyst Jennifer Henshaw says there has been a common theme over the years of getting caught in voice-mail jail being unable to speak with government officials and wading through complicated government forms.

Previous nominees include a B-C town for requiring business owners to construct sidewalks on their properties even if they had no buildings on it.

There is also a Golden Scissor award for government officials who help cut red-tape which will be announced Thursday.

Saskatchewan Minister of Trade and Export Development Jeremy Harrison is a finalist for developing a Web Portal to register red-tape complaints.

The week includes red-tape report cards for the provinces and the annual red-tape challenge to governments.

Henshaw says red-tape issues cost Canadian businesses 10-billion dollars a year.