ENHANCED COVID-19 BUSINESS BENEFIT: MLA BILOUS

NDP Critic for Economic Development and Innovation Deron Bilous issued the following statement regarding the UCP’s Enhanced COVID-19 Business Benefit:

“Small businesses are hurting, but Jason Kenney and the UCP have just cut their support and made it harder to qualify. Almost a year into the pandemic, small businesses need more support - not less. 

“Jason Kenney and the UCP have continuously stalled on small business supports and today’s announcement is yet another smoke-and-mirrors trick to try to convince Albertans that they’re actually helping owners and their employees during the difficult COVID-19 pandemic. For businesses to receive the additional support announced today, they will need to prove a 60 per cent loss in revenue, up from the previous 30 per cent threshold. To make matters worse, the UCP are quietly shutting down their Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant.

“Small businesses are paying the price for the continued games being played by this Government. The UCP needs to find ways to get these businesses direct and immediate support today. They should extend their existing grant at least until the pandemic is over. And they should provide additional help to small businesses for rent, insurance, a ban on evictions and utility shutoffs, and a cap on food delivery app fees.”