Ontario budget 2021

Retail Council of Canada is drafting a budget submission to Ontario’s upcoming 2021 budget. Our focus for everyone is on getting retailers’ doors reopened for business and, confirming support programs that will help to minimize the number of retailers shutting their doors permanently.

We know from a fall StatCan survey that 30.4% of businesses do not know how long they could continue to operate at their current level of revenue and expenditures before considering further staffing actions, closure or bankruptcy. We encourage Ontario to consider additional relief for business, like a refundable tax credit to help ease the financial burden of protecting Ontarians from COVID-19, including expenditures for PPE, safety training, and other resources to help retailers keep their employees and customers safe.

While financial reliefs continue to be a mainstay, there are several other asks that RCC is drafting for the budget, including calling on Ontario to harmonize public health units, a new dynamic global adjustment energy pricing pilot that aims to save retailers a further 10% of their energy bills, and environmental stewardship asks aimed at making Ontario’s transitioning Blue Box program more affordable for stewards.

For more on Ontario’s budget consultation, click here. Ontario’s consultation closes on Feb 12, 2021.