Premier David Eby rejected calls for reforming the Employer Health Tax following the release of a report that raised questions about the costs of doing business in British Columbia.
The tax replaced the “unfair” Medical Services Premium, “which increased regularly and penalized regular people,” he said. Some sectors are struggling, but the “province is doing very well economically,” with exports up 20 per cent this year.MORE: Province has concept plan for new cancer care centre at Nanaimo hospital
BC Greens Leader Sonia Furstenau repeated calls for reforms to the health tax following the release of a report from the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.Counting the Costs: Assessing Economic Challenges for Businesses in British Columbia” argues that businesses will have shouldered an additional $6.5 billion in direct costs between 2022 and 2024 because of various governmental policies, including the introduction of the tax in 2019.