COVID-19
The Issue
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to affect business and citizens on a massive scale. Sustained action by the federal and provincial governments is required to ensure businesses can survive through this global pandemic.
Please refer to COVID-19: Resources for Business for up-to-date information.
Our Position
While there were many helpful support programs at the federal and provincial levels since the start of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, COVID-19 is still ongoing and thus the need for support persists.
Recommendations
The SCC recommends that the government take action in the following areas to help offset business challenges and ensure COVID-19 is behind us all:
- Continue to Support Business, Workers & Self-Employed
- Review and continue support programs on an as needed basis.
- This includes reducing interest costs on existing program supports, such as loans to business, to allow those same businesses to direct their resources to growth.
- Extend tax or bill payment deadlines for business.
- Federal Supports: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html
- Ensure COVID-19 is Behind Us
- Continue to focus on and support the medical care, rapid testing, and especially the full and easy vaccine access required to take us forward in a post-COVID world.
- Prepare for the Future
- Create a pan-Canadian working group of business, governments, and medical experts to review actions taken, programs delivered and outcomes during the pandemic so that a report can be compiled, and action plans implemented to better prepare Canada for the future.
In 2020, the SCC compiled a detailed document of the federal and provincial governments’ actions to date. It can be viewed here.
