Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, concluded her tour in the York and Niagara regions, where she highlighted Budget 2023's investments to support small businesses.
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.
Minister Ng kicked off her tour by meeting with TROES Corp., a clean technology business in Markham that develops commercial and industrial-level battery energy storage systems. 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 also had a meeting with wine industry stakeholders, during which she highlighted the government's decision to cap the excise tax on alcohol products at 2% for one year, starting on April 1. This will help wine, beer and spirit makers who have been faced with higher costs of ingredients and manufacturing.
The Minister concluded her tour by visiting a number of small businesses in St. Catharines, including Ramaker's Dutch Imports, Adam's Flora, and Wandering Spirits, where she highlighted 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.
