Small business owners throughout the province could soon have some additional help dealing with the tough economic times, according to Finance Minister Joe Ceci.
Ceci was in Cold Lake on Sept. 18 to meet with the Cold Lake Chamber of Commerce and hear local concerns regarding the shattered state of the provincial economy.
A group of 40 business owners from Cold Lake and Bonnyville had a chance to speak to Ceci and inform him about the current challenges and struggles the regions is facing due to the downturn of the oil and gas industry.
“I heard a lot about the challenges (small business owners) are under with regard to running a business in this depress economic climate,” said Ceci after meeting with the local business representatives on Friday morning.
“There is going to be, in our upcoming budget, a rather substantial increase to the existing capital budget, which will be focused on economic stimulus throughout the province.”
Ceci inferred that the 2015 budget, which is scheduled to be released at the end of October, would include a series of programs and projects that will aid local business owners and help stimulate economic growth in Alberta.
Currently the government is in the midst of finalizing a budget and making last minute funding decisions.
Since winning the election in May, the NDP government has yet to officially release a budget, instead choosing to embark on a long budget feedback tour. The last chance for public input came via two telephone town halls held by Ceci on Sept. 21 and 23.
“We are working as fast as we can,” said Ceci, in regards to the 2015 budget. “We have only been in power for four months, so it takes some time to get things up and running and to get to know all of the different ministries, those portfolios and what they require.”
In April the PC's tabled an initial 2015 budget. Since then the NDP government has gone out and overturned a variety of funding decisions, choosing to put more money back into health care and education.
Locally, Ceci was questioned about Highway 28 and the province's plans to include the local road in the 2015 budget.
The PC budget had allotted just under $43 million to upgrade a 25-kilometre stretch of Highway 28.
This project would have seen an 11-kilometre section north of Highway 28A up to the bend near Highway 651 and a 14-kilometre section from Highway 651 to the west side of the intersection near Highway 827 receive upgrades.
These plans to revamp what many consider the roughest highway in the province have been put on hold.
While in Cold Lake Ceci hinted at the possibility of Highway 28 being one of the areas that received the additional capital dollars the NDP plan on spending.
“Places like Highway 28, health facilities and schools throughout the province will probably be recipients of that money going forward,” said Ceci.
Decisions on where to dish out the new province's capital dollars are currently being made by Ceci, and the rest of the NDP government as they form their budget.
