Calgary business community raises concerns over provincial budget
Posted Mar 23, 2018 7:29 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The provincial budget is out and some members of the Calgary business community are not too pleased.
Alberta Director for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business Amber Ruddy believed there is very little being done to help small businesses.
“This budget was a missed opportunity for small business owners, we thought the government could lay out a vision but instead we’re seeing niche tax credit programs as the only strategy really to support small businesses,” Ruddy said. “45 per cent of our members have never heard of these things and another 45 per cent say they are very difficult to access.”
Director of Policy and Government Relations for the Calgary Chamber of Commerce Zoe Addington echoed Ruddy’s concerns.
“While tax credits are great, I mean they really want to be able to operate, make money, invest in their employees, hire people, make capital investments and grow their business,” Addington said.
Addington explained the budget relies heavily on a wait and see approach that may never come to fruition.
“It counts on pipelines getting built, it counts on increase in GDP, it counts on increased revenue coming in, and it relies on the province sticking to its commitment to balance its operations,” Addington said “When they came into power there was a royalty review which impacted investment, we saw an increase in corporate taxes, we saw an increase in minimum wage it’s gone up 47 per cent in three years by the time it goes up to $15 in October.”
Both organizations were hoping for a more business friendly tone in the budget and for the government to recognize its businesses that create jobs.
