Vapour tax and rebate cheques: Highlights of the Saskatchewan budget

REGINA — Premier Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government tabled its 2021-22 budget on Tuesday. Here’s a look at some of the highlights: 

— A $2.6- billion deficit with revenue projected at $14.5 billion and expenses at just over $17 billion.

— A new goal to eliminate the deficit by 2026-27 instead of 2024 as promised in last fall’s provincial election.

— A projected West Texas Intermediate oil price of about US$54 a barrel.

— An anticipated 4.2 per cent real GDP contraction for 2020 and 3.4 per cent forecasted growth in 2021.

— Spending pf $90 million on testing, personal protective equipment and the province’s vaccination campaign against COVID-19.

— An extra $5 million to open new international trade offices to support Saskatchewan’s export market.

— Adding $4.2 billion to the province’s debt load, which is projected to total nearly $28 billion in March 2022, including debt from Crown corporations.

— A new tax on vaping products of 20 per cent starting in September.

— Rebate cheques estimated to be an average of $285 per vehicle for drivers to be sent in May.

— A one-year, 10 per cent rebate on SaskPower bills for customers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 6, 2021

The Canadian Press