Montréal, March 13, 2014 ‒ Within the context of the Quebec election campaign, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal today presented the business community's five priorities to revitalize the economy of Greater Montréal.
"The candidates must clearly prove their commitment to improving the business environment of Greater Montréal and make it a more competitive and prosperous metropolis," declared Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.
For this purpose, the Board of Trade is calling on the parties to make the following commitments:
- Reform Quebec taxation and, once the budget is balanced, lower taxes.
- Increase the volume of immigration to Quebec by 60,000 to 65,000 persons per year and purposely select immigrants according to the job market's needs.
- Ensure dedicated funding for public transportation that will allow $680 million per year of additional investments by 2021 in Greater Montréal.
- Intensify the efforts to rebuild metropolitan infrastructure and proceed to cover the Ville-Marie Expressway.
- Grant Montréal the powers so that it can fully play its role as Quebec's metropolis, starting with new sources of financing.
"These five priorities will restart Quebec's economic engine. Metropolitan Montreal has solid advantages, but concrete actions must be taken as soon as possible to improve our economic performance and, ultimately, our collective wealth. We are asking our members to take these priorities to the candidates in their ridings and to vote according to the answers obtained," Michel Leblanc concluded.
About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has approximately 7,000 members. Its mission is to represent the interests of the business community of Greater Montréal and to provide individuals, merchants, and local businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity, and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is Quebec's leading private economic development organization.
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Source:
Michelle LLambias Meunier
Advisor, Media Relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514 871-4000, extension 4042
mllambias@ccmm.qc.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chambremontreal
Twitter: @chambremontreal
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