Provincial Finance Minister Selina Robinson told a Surrey Board of Trade Zoom meeting on Friday that a comprehensive tax review is B次元官网网址渘ot on our agenda.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 want to be really honest and up-front about that,B次元官网网址� she said.

This was in response to board CEO Anita HubermanB次元官网网址檚 question if the NDP government will commit to such a review B次元官网网址渁nd perhaps a tax reform.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭here are so many taxes, which is eroding businessesB次元官网网址� bottom line,B次元官网网址� Huberman said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 very unfortunate,B次元官网网址� Huberman told the Now-Leader in response to RobinsonB次元官网网址檚 answer. B次元官网网址淭he number-one thing that weB次元官网网址檙e hearing is related to bottom-line erosion, taxation, additional fees, not only by the B.C. government but by all levels of government. So I was disappointed that that is not part of their economic plan to at least commit to a review of the taxes.B次元官网网址�

Robinson offered up some Budget 2022 highlights, including $875 million earmarked for COVID-19 pandemic health response, $633 million over three years to tackle homelessness, $284 million toward providing B次元官网网址渁ffordable, accessible and high-quality child care,B次元官网网址� and more than $1 billion for B次元官网网址渇ighting climate change.B次元官网网址�

Specific to SurreyB次元官网网址檚 housing front, she said, 1,318 homes are in development, under construction or already open with 100 on 81 Avenue for Indigenous individuals, families and elders, and 40 B次元官网网址渟upportive homesB次元官网网址� on 80 Avenue for the homeless.

B次元官网网址淭hese projects are in planning and under construction all over the Surrey area,B次元官网网址� Robinson said.

As for health care, B次元官网网址渟hovels will be in the ground by the middle of next yearB次元官网网址� for SurreyB次元官网网址檚 new hospital, to be located in Cloverdale. B次元官网网址淭he hospital will welcome patients by 2027.B次元官网网址�

Concerning the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain expansion, she added, B次元官网网址淲e expect to see the final project scope, cost and schedule as part of the business plan this fall.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淔inally, our capital plan invests over $3.1 billion over the next three years to build new schools, to respond to growing enrollment and maintain and seismically upgrade schools throughout the province,B次元官网网址� Robinson said. B次元官网网址淔or Surrey this means funding for expansions at South Meridian elementary and Semiahmoo elementary by 2024.B次元官网网址�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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