Richmond’s BC Liberal MLAs will be pushing for relief for businesses next week when they are back in the legislature.
Richmond-Queensborough MLA Jas Johal pointed out 20,000 to 30,000 businesses could fail in the province by the end of 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Johal and two other Richmond MLAs were taking part in a Zoom townhall hosted by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce on Friday.
Johal was citing a report from the Business Council of British Columbia, “Business Destruction and COVID-19” that says 10 to 15 per cent of B.C.’s 200,000 small businesses could either cease operations or be forced into bankruptcy.
“The numbers if you look at them are quite challenging and quite scary,” Johal said.
The BC Liberals have called for relief for businesses to help them weather the current economic recession, specifically in regards to provincial sales tax (PST) and employer health tax (EHT), and this was reiterated by John Yap, MLA for Richmond-Steveston.
Given that personal protective equipment (PPE) is a “fact of life” for businesses now, Yap said emergency funding approved earlier this year could be given to businesses to put these safety measures in place.
In addition, many employees have been laid off for 16 weeks, after which businesses need to pay them severance, according to the Employment Standards Act.
This is another expense Johal is advocating to have extended as not to push these businesses into bankruptcy.
With federal money expected for infrastructure projects to help boost the economy, Johal said it’s important that the George Massey Tunnel replacement project be “shovel ready” to go in order to tap into these funds.
The NDP provincial government cancelled the previous government’s plan for a 10-lane bridge and is currently working on the business case for an eight-lane submerged tunnel to replace the current one.
The legislature will be in session again on Monday, June 22 with about 30 MLAs there in person and the rest participating virtually. It is expected to sit until August.
