Government to release scaled-back budget Wednesday

The provincial government is changing its plans for the 2020 budget.

The budget still will be released Wednesday as scheduled, but it will include only budget estimates for 2020-21 — the government’s spending plans for the upcoming year.

“The budget estimates will contain spending increases in most areas, including a significant increase in health funding,” Finance Minister Donna Harpauer said in a media release. “It includes a significant lift to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, which funds the doctors, nurses and other health professionals who are on the front line of the fight against COVID-19.

“It is absolutely vital that we move ahead with those spending increases now as we confront the COVID-19 pandemic.”

However, the revenue forecasts for the budget will not be tabled. That change is because of recent occurrences, many of which are the result of the reaction to the coronavirus.

“The events of the past few weeks have resulted in our revenue forecasts no longer being accurate,” Harpauer said. “Given the rapidly changing situation, accurate revenue forecasts are not possible right now.

“However, we need to move forward with the government’s spending plan for the upcoming year, so we are taking the unusual step of tabling spending estimates without the revenue forecasts. Once the situation has become more stable, we will release a financial update including revenue forecasts.”

NDP Leader Ryan Meili called on the government a week ago to postpone the budget, but the Sask. Party dismissed his calls at that time.