Press release
Vigilance, controls on spending, support to businesses and strategic infrastructure projects: the Board of Trade presents its federal pre-budgetary recommendations
Montréal, December 21, 2011 – The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has presented its recommendations in preparation for the 2012-2013 federal budget. It is asking the government to continue to control spending to achieve a balanced budget by 2015-2016, to maintain strategic initiatives to increase our productivity and to support strategic projects for the Montréal metropolitan area.
“The precarious economic situation in Europe and the United States requires that the Canadian government show greater vigilance in its budgetary planning,” said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. “The potential impact of our main trading partners’ difficulties on our own economy is a concern both nationally and municipally. Local businesses, which are increasingly active on international markets, must not only deal with this uncertainty, but must also tackle our own challenges, including our disappointing performance in terms of productivity and the tightening labour supply caused by a rapidly aging population.”
“The government must stay the course on a balanced budget for 2015-2016,” Mr. Leblanc said. “Tight control of public spending is essential, both to maintain our credibility with financial institutions and investors and to create the necessary leeway in case there are further economic upheavals.”
“The federal government must continue with measures to support our economic growth,” Michel Leblanc said. “In the coming years, more limited availability of labour and the prospect of a strong dollar will make the challenge of productivity for Canadian businesses even more acute. We must tackle these issues now. To do so, the Government of Canada needs to review and reinforce initiatives to support research and innovation, continue to support businesses on international markets, simplify and reduce red tape for small business, encourage entrepreneurship and foster investment in human capital.”
“The Canadian government is a key player that has the essential tools for deploying strategic assets for economic growth within the Montréal metropolitan area,” Mr. Leblanc said. “Decisions about the Champlain Bridge must be made immediately so that a bridge is built within the next six years. The rail shuttle connecting the Montréal-Trudeau airport and downtown, the development of the Old Port of Montreal, a prime federal asset, and recognizing the Port of Montreal as a continental gateway are all important projects for the city’s economy. We are also asking Ottawa to quickly initiate an opportunity analysis to equip the country with a high-speed train along the Québec City-Windsor corridor.”
You can read the Board of Trade’s pre-budgetary recommendations by clicking here. (In French only)
About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is made up of some 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:
Geneviève Jutras
Advisor, Communications
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514 871-4000, ext. 4042
gjutras@ccmm.qc.ca