Minister Ng highlights budget investments to support small businesses and strengthen public health care

HALIFAX, NS, March 31, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, concluded her tour in Atlantic Canada where she highlighted Budget 2023's investments to support small businesses and strengthen public health care.

Budget 2023 is focused on making life more affordable, building a strong and resilient health care system, and investing in a green and sustainable future for Canada.

During her tour, Minister Ng met with several small grocery and food businesses in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, such as Pete's Frootique & Fine Foods, to highlight a deal confirmed in Budget 2023 to lower credit card transaction fees for small businesses, saving small businesses up to $1 billion over five years.

To make life more affordable, Budget 2023 also delivers the new Grocery Rebate, offering targeted inflation relief for 11 million Canadians and families who need it most, with up to an additional $467 for low-income families.

Minister Ng also met with two clean technology companies: ARC Clean Technology and Moltex Energy. She spoke about the government's climate commitments and how Budget 2023 investments to support clean energy projects will help Canada maintain its leadership in clean technology. To build Canada's clean economy, the budget makes transformative investments to fight climate change and create the clean, green jobs of the future.

The Minister concluded her tour by highlighting important investments in health care. To strengthen Canada's universal public health care system, the budget delivers $198.3 billion, including more than $12 billion in Atlantic Canada to reduce backlogs, expand access to family health services and ensure provinces and territories can provide the high-quality and timely health care Canadians expect and deserve. Budget 2023 also introduces the new Canadian Dental Care Plan, to help up to 9 million Canadians and ensure no Canadian has to choose between taking care of their health and paying the bills at the end of the month.

Quotes

"Budget 2023 is our plan to make life more affordable, strengthen public health care, and build a stronger, more sustainable and more secure Canadian economy—for all Canadians. The investments in Budget 2023 will help small businesses thrive, create opportunities for clean technology companies and ensure that more Canadians have access to dental care."

– The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development

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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Shanti Cosentino, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, 343-576-4365, [email protected]; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, [email protected]