From Floor of BC Legislature the Burnaby Board of Trade Supports “Stay the Course” 2015 Budget

BBOT_HeaderLogoThe Burnaby Board of Trade (BBOT) is voicing its support of the balanced budget released today in Victoria by provincial Finance Minister Mike de Jong. After watching Minister de Jong deliver the budget speech live in the BC Legislature, BBOT President & CEO Paul Holden expressed support for the new budget saying: “The BBOT is generally satisfied with this ‘stay-the-course’ budget and is happy to see that there were no big surprises for the business community.”

The BBOT is especially pleased to see the provincial government announce another balanced budget with a surplus of $879 million projected for the end of fiscal year 2014/15 and a surplus of $284 million forecast for the coming fiscal year of 2015/16. As a result, British Columbia will likely be the only province to post a budget surplus this year. “Having a balanced provincial budget and proving we can keep our fiscal house in order is just one more thing that sets BC apart and makes this an attractive place to do business,” commented Holden. Minister de Jong also announced forecasts for surpluses for the next two fiscal years of $376 million in 2016/17 and $399 million in 2017/18.

The budget also included important supports for the digital media and film & television industries, two of Burnaby’s key sectors. The BBOT was pleased to see the government announce an expansion of the Digital Animation or Visual Effects Tax Credit as well as announce an extension to 2018 of the Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit. The BBOT understands the importance of these two sectors as cornerstones of our creative economy and will continue to advocate on their behalf.

On Thursday, March 19th, the Burnaby Board of Trade will welcome Finance Minister Mike de Jong to a special reception with Board of Trade members. Attendees will be able to network with fellow attendees before hearing from the Minister in person on the new provincial budget and what the coming months hold in store for the province.