The province is set to unveil the 2021 budget with the focus being on protecting your health and jobs.
Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board Peter Bethenfalvy has indicated that the framework will contain additional measures to help navigate the impacts brought on by the pandemic. The pandemic was to blame for a projected $38.5 billion dollar deficit in the 2020 budget.
Bethenfalvy would not say whether the financial plan will lay out a path to a balanced budget, something that Premier Doug Ford had to abandon when lockdowns caused widespread job losses in 2020.
The Financial Accountability Office reports that as of December 31st 2020 the province had about $4.7 million left in it’s contingency fund and reserves.
The Minister claims that the FAO cannot analyze government decisions in real time and is not counting recent spending such as $1.4 billion to give cash grants to businesses forced to close during the winter lockdown, or another $600 million spent on additional personal protective equipment.
