Media Advisory - Certified Management Accountants of Canada (CMA Canada) to
Comment on 2010 Federal Budget

OTTAWA, March 3 /CNW/ - Joy Thomas, MBA, FCMA, C.Dir., President & CEO of Certified Management Accountants of Canada (CMA Canada), will be available to comment on the 2010 federal budget upon its release on Thursday, March 4, 2010.

During pre-budget consultations held in August 2009 by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, CMA Canada cautioned that, "Canada's productivity performance has lagged behind that of most other industrialized countries for twenty-five years. The median real earnings of Canadian workers have not grown in a quarter century, one result of this lag."

To address this challenge, CMA Canada recommended that a long-term view of Canada's economic performance is required and that Canada's lagging productivity performance receive specific attention. CMA Canada further recommended three specific measures to improve Canada's human capital, physical capital, and capacity to innovate - the key drivers of productivity:

    
    1.  Introduce an Information Communication Technology (ICT) adoption tax
        credit targeted at Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). CMA Canada
        outlined how this tax credit should broadly define ICT assets, make
        expenditures on ICT training eligible for the tax credit, and that is
        should be fully refundable when no tax is payable.
    2.  Enhance the SR&ED tax credit by extending to claimants of all sizes
        the refundability provision currently available only to smaller
        businesses.
    3.  Increase the financial and human resources provided to federal
        enforcement agencies so they can more effectively combat
        counterfeiting and piracy of intellectual property in Canada.
    

About CMA Canada

With 50,000 members around the world, CMA Canada grants a professional designation in strategic management accounting(TM) and is responsible for standards-setting, accreditation and the continuing professional development of CMAs. CMAs provide an integrating perspective to business decision-making, applying a unique blend of expertise in accounting, management and strategy to identify new market opportunities, ensure corporate accountability, and help organizations maintain a long-term competitive advantage. To optimize the performance of global enterprises and build strategic management accounting(TM) skills, CMA Canada offers innovative executive development programs, advanced online courses, and internationally recognized knowledge management publications. For more information, visit www.cma-canada.org.

For further information: on CMA Canada's recommendations or to arrange to speak with Ms. Thomas, please contact: Nicolas Todd, Bluesky Strategy Group (for CMA Canada), Tel: [phone] ext. 227, Cell: [phone] (budget day), Email: [email protected]; Cindy Mantione, Communications Officer, CMA Canada, Tel: [phone], Toll-free: 1-800-263-7622 ext. 3116, Email: [email protected]