The Saskatchewan Construction Association is continuing their calls to the province to remove the PST on construction labour.

This comes as SUMA called on the province to eliminate PST on municipal projects, something the SCA says would be a good start.

President and CEO Mark Cooper said it’s been a tax on development and growth.

“Every time that some new company or individual is looking to grow their business or build their business, then they actually have to construct something,” Cooper said. “If you increase the cost of that construction by charging PST on construction labour, that means sometimes between 3-5% in increase in cost that companies and individuals have to bare.”

Cooper said while he knows they have been heard; the PST will remain for the time being.

“I think the indications that we’ve received are the province understands that the tax is a challenge, and that ideally it wouldn’t be there,” Cooper said. “Given the different priorities that they have to balance, I don’t get the sense that they are intending to remove the tax — certainly not in full — this year.”

The provincial NDP have promised to remove the PST on construction labour if elected. Cooper says while that is encouraging, the focus of SCA is working with the current provincial government on the file.