The province’s Growth Plan for 2030 is an overall positive vision according to the Saskatchewan Construction Association.
The SCA is pleased with the government’s plan including new goals and targets like the population goal of 1.4-million by 2030 and 100,000 new jobs.
President Mark Cooper says this new plan really focuses on what we can do in Saskatchewan to shape our own future success. “You know a lot of times we face headwinds both federally and globally that make it more challenging here in Saskatchewan, but we are still producing the things that the world needs and this plan really lays out the foundation for how we will ensure that private sector and public sector investment will drive our ability to keep producing those things and get them to the people who want to buy them.”
The SCA is applauding a few key initiatives that will continue success in the construction industry including:
- Investment of $30 billion in infrastructure
- Commitment to get municipal commercial building permit timelines down to maximum of 2 weeks
- Commitment to create an appeals process for the National Building Code interpretations
- A sector-based approach to supporting growth
- A commitment to maintaining tax and regulatory competitiveness, following Alberta’s recent corporate tax cut
- Opening international trade offices to increase Saskatchewan exports and attract investment opportunities in Saskatchewan
Cooper says a few of the bigger initiatives in that list include the commitment to get commercial building permit timelines down to a maximum two weeks and to create an appeals process for the National Building Code interpretations. “It’s going to be faster now for people to make investment decisions and actually start spending their money building things here in Saskatchewan. Today the delays are all over the map across the province. Sometimes it can take months to half a year to get a permit approved, sometimes it’s a couple of weeks.”
He says this means the government is realizing that this is a barrier to growth, it’s slowing down investment decisions and they are making it easier by removing the regulatory burden.
Cooper adds that the SCA also supports the province restoring the PST exemption to drilling and drilling services for exploration and mining companies. “The mining sector is a significant financial contributor to our economy. They are facing a lot of challenges from regulation and taxation from the federal level as well, and this is just a nice signal to the mining companies that you should continue your exploration, you should continue your investments in our province and we will make it a little less expensive for you to invest here.”
He says the PST exemption on construction materials has yet to be reinstated, and the SCA will continue to advocate for that, but this is a first step in the right direction.
