B.C. budget: Kelowna Chamber of Commerce says lack of relief for small business – Okanagan | 24CA News
Andre Thomas has been a small business proprietor for 25 years, one thing he says has turn into more and more difficult.
“I think it’s the worst that it’s probably ever been,” Thomas stated.
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The Memphis Blues Barbeque House restaurant proprietor says COVID was an enormous blow to his Kelowna business. And since then, there’s been a collection of different hits.
“Just so many things,” Thomas instructed Global News. “Labour shortages, cost of goods, and minimum wage increases and health benefits.”
The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, together with its B.C. counterparts, has been calling on tax breaks for small companies, together with the well being employers tax, forward of the finances — however the finances didn’t reply these calls.
“There’s nothing in this budget that will get small business excited,” stated Dan Rogers, Kelowna Chamber of Commerce govt director.
“At least it would have been a signal, and a signal that we understand the pain and the challenges that you’re facing and that’s what we were looking for,” Rogers stated.
“Some adjustment in tax rates to help small businesses would have been nice, some tax relief, but there’s nothing within the document that would have sent that signal. So we think it was really a missed opportunity.”
Rogers added that the ‘missed opportunity’ has widespread implications.
“If we don’t address that, it’s going to slow our economic recovery and that’s going to affect everyone,” Rogers stated.
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There was some reduction introduced within the finances for small companies.
It entails about half a billion {dollars} over the subsequent three years for abilities and coaching growth, however precisely who will probably be eligible and when it will likely be rolled out stays unclear.
“They say the plan won’t be done until the end of 2023, so we don’t know how that’s going to roll out, how much money will help small businesses in the Okanagan,” Rogers stated. “Some of the details are yet to come and that’s a bit of a concern.”
At Memphis Blues, Thomas is doing what he can to outlive and thrive. That consists of just lately including a bourbon bar to his eatery to attempt to enhance the underside line.
“It sounds counterintuitive that we did spend a little bit more money last fall and did a major bar renovation with the goal of increasing revenue,” stated Thomas, “so that we are more financially viable and (able) to get through this recession and deal with the challenges that small businesses are facing.”
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