Today, the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services released the BC Budget 2024 Consultation Report. The document includes a summary of many organizations and individuals that present to the Committee on a broad list of topics.
“We are pleased that the committee has recommended to the BC Government to implement many of our policy recommendations,” said Anita Huberman, President & CEO, Surrey Board of Trade. “One item missed was the commitment to a comprehensive review and modernization of the BC tax system to help business.”
Surrey Board of Trade recommendations that the committee endorsed include:
ENVIRONMENT
Energy Efficiency
· Eliminate BC Hydro’s Step 2 rate.
Recycling and Waste
· Encourage electric and zero-emission vehicle battery recycling by establishing incentives for vehicle battery recycling programs; commissioning a study and action plan; and providing investment for current recycling plants to increase their capacity.
FISCAL AND REGULATORY POLICY
Specific Regulatory Measures
· Evaluate the regulatory and approval processes across all ministries and agencies to ensure timeliness, efficiency, and predictability, including by working with the federal government to align processes.
· Review the employer health tax exemption threshold for small businesses to address impacts related to rising wages and inflation.
Small Business
· Provide funding for programs and organizations that support young entrepreneurs and new businesses.
HEALTH
Health Human Resources
· Address staff shortages in the health care sector through:
a. recruitment and retention incentives;
b. streamlining credential recognition for out-of-BC health care providers;
c. providing funding for the completion of minor training variances for internationally trained professionals; and,
d. increasing post-secondary seats in areas such as nursing, medical radiation technology, midwifery, and speech language pathology and audiology.
· Regulate physician assistants under the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia to allow for physician assistants to be incorporated in the BC health care system.
HOUSING
Housing Supply
· Increase the full spectrum of housing supply in partnership with municipal and federal governments by:
a. implementing incentives to build housing, including non-market housing;
b. partnering with community organizations and foundations;
c. increasing investments in supportive housing; and
d. providing funding to address rising costs.
· Coordinate a housing policy across all levels of government to remove barriers to housing supply, including creating a housing development and affordability dashboard to measure availability and progress.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE
Natural Disasters and Emergency Preparedness
· Prioritize investment in flood mitigation efforts, including for building appropriate infrastructure, conducting floodplain mapping, investing in an earthquake resilience strategy, and providing funding for sub-regional and regional planning with First Nations participation.
· Provide $6.75 million in base funding to regional districts for emergency management.
SOCIAL SERVICES
Not for Profit Organizations
· Support the not for profit sector by streamlining grant processes, providing stable, multi-year funding, and reviewing the allowable administrative ratios in contracts and evaluating access to a portable sector-wide pension plan.
TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSIT
Active Transportation
· Provide multi-year financing for accessible pathways for active transportation between communities.
Public Transit
· Advocate to the federal government to launch a tri-partite national commission with the provinces and transit agencies to develop a more resilient and equitable funding model for public transit and to move forward the launch of the Permanent Transit Fund by two years.
Read the full Budget Consultation Report here
-30-
Anita Huberman, 604-634-0342, anita@businessinsurrey.com
