Media Alert: Retail Council of Canada to Monitor Budget On Behalf of Saskatchewan's Retailers

Regina, March 21, 2007 – Retail Council of Canada (RCC) will be available for comment and analysis at the Saskatchewan Legislature tomorrow when Saskatchewan Finance Minister Andrew Thomson delivers his government's budget.

In its 2007 pre-budget submission, RCC put forward a number of recommendations, including:

• Further increasing the disposable income levels of Saskatchewan residents;
• Pursuing PST/GST harmonization with the federal government, as recommended by the Saskatchewan Business Tax Review Committee;
• Examining ways to work with the federal government to increase international immigration to the province;
• Focusing on improving opportunities to access post-secondary education and training;
• Enhancing educational opportunities for Saskatchewan's young Aboriginal people; and
• Ensuring English as a Second Language (ESL) programs for new Canadians becomes a more important part of Saskatchewan's education strategy.

RCC will be closely monitoring the budget for these and other issues affecting the province's retailers and consumers.

About RCC
Retail Council of Canada (www.retailcouncil.org) is the Voice of Retail. It is a not-for-profit association which represents more than 40,000 stores of all retail formats, including independent merchants, regional and national mass and specialty chains, and online merchants.

For more information, contact Lanny McInnes, Director, Government Relations & Member Services — Manitoba & Saskatchewan, at (204) 782-6575; e-mail: lmcinnes@retailcouncil.org.