As part of provincial consultations for the 2022-2023 budget, the Chamber has made its recommendations to the Government of Quebec.
Quebec has seen a remarkable rebound in 2021. Its growth of over 6.5% was the highest in the country. The same applies to the economic performance of Montréal, which is among the leaders in the relaunch of employment in North America and which is resolutely resuming its role as the economic engine of Quebec.
Given this strong economic rebound, the Government of Quebec’s Economic and Financial Update on November 25 revealed public finances in much better shape than anticipated and showed that the province is staying the course to reach zero deficit in 2027-2028. With robust public finances, the Government of Quebec is in a better position to attack the structural issues that were present before the pandemic and that quickly re-emerged in the context of the relaunch: the demographic crunch, productivity that needs improvement, particularly to compete on foreign markets, and the fight against climate change that needs to be intensified.
The Chamber therefore proposes the six following priorities that should be reflected in the Government of Quebec’s 2022-2023 budget.
- Respond to emergencies in the labour market (in addition to Opération main-d’œuvre)
- Tackle productivity issues in companies to compensate for the labour shortage and increase competitivity
- Accelerate the shift to green technology
- Promote local potential and leverage exports to the rest of Canada and internationally
- Support structuring projects for Greater Montréal
- Stay the course for a balanced balance and, as we emerge from the crisis, reduce the personal and corporate tax burden
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