Budget Committee Hears Community Wish List
Committee Deputy Chair Carole James (in red) listens to presentation- photo 250News
Prince George BC- Fog caused a change of venue for the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services.
The Committee was supposed to be in Dawson Creek this morning and arrive in Prince George for an afternoon evening session . The fog changed the travel plans so the Dawson Creek session was moved to Prince George with the Dawson Creek submissions made by teleconference.
Among those making submissions for the Dawson Creek portion of the hearing were Fort St John Mayor Lori Ackerman and Colin Griffith the Executive Director of the Northeast BC Municipalities Coalition
Griffith called upon the Committee to use the down time in the natural resource sector to plan for the future ” The hiatus we have right now is an opportunity for everybody to take a step back and using this period of time for an improved focus on socio-economic and long term planning for the day that we can gain access to the world markets and all our resources are at full scale.”
The Coalition has been working with the Province to create a level playing field on the provincial tax issue, one that plagues communities close to the Alberta border. “We’ve been doing a lot of work with the Ministry of Finance over the last 5 or 6 months, to ensure BC businesses are competing on a level playing field with those outside the province” said Griffith.
Comments
Why is the Clark govt going after people for the BC PST that bought merchandise in Alberta and brought it into BC?
Crooks!
Actually never thought of it that way, those businesses in Alberta are not on a level playing field as they don’t pay 7% PST on purchases which include equipment and supplies. To make it level they need to pay PST on anything they use in the course of their business in BC
There are a lot of connecting roads to Alberta. Most people I know buy all their expensive items in AB. There are deliver vans constantly hauling to the Peace Region. Why should businesses be any different. BC is loosing millions in taxes.
B.C. businesses that buy products outside of B.C. are required to remit, or charge and remit pst on those products. It is easy not too, unless the vendor collects the pst on behalf of B.C. Some do.
The B.C. business will eventually have to pay the tax and maybe a fine, if and when they are audited by the pst folks.
metalman.
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