BBOT Makes Pre-Budget Submission to Province Focused on Climate, Tax, Childcare, Small Business

 

August 30, 2021

Championing Business Priorities — The Burnaby Board of Trade met personally with the provincial Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services to present our suggestions and recommendations for Budget 2022, as part of the provincial government’s pre-budget consultations.

These early consultations are a chance for us as your chamber to ensure top business issues are being heard, considered and included in the development of next year’s budget.

In our meeting with the Committee, BBOT President & CEO Paul Holden raised a number of issues and priority areas, including more hands-on support for small businesses, action on climate change mitigation, tax changes and reforms, and childcare and education.  In addition, the BBOT urged the province to embrace the “orientation to yes” which all governments have adopted during the pandemic, as a way of making government quicker and more responsive.

The live consultation meeting, and the BBOT’s written submission, focus on key BBOT priority areas including:

Climate Change

  • Funding for adaptation to unavoidable climate impacts and hardening of our key infrastructure
  • Incentives to support small businesses to adopt green technologies and processes
  • Leveraging the buying power of the province and Crown to support BC green businesses

Tax

  • Increase the exemption thresholds for the Employer Health Tax to at least $1 million
  • Alleviate the impacts of Highest and Best Use valuation on property taxes

Childcare and Education

  • Keep schools open as much as possible through the rest of the pandemic
  • Providing access to spaces as the priority (cost doesn’t matter if you can’t find space) so continue investing in net new spaces
    • In doing so, explore funding arrangements with operators for creating childcare for off-peak and non-traditional service hours
  • Continue investments in the Early Care and Learning Recruitment and Retention Strategy to ensure we recruit, train and retain enough Early Childhood Educators

Housing

  • Prioritize housing supports for middle-income, working people so that average workers can better find housing in Burnaby and surrounding areas

Small Business Supports

  • Build on the success of the “Launch Online” program to create more support programs for small businesses that provide hands-on, tangible business assistance
    • Expand programs to provide help with exporting, go-to-market strategies, and marketing