Finance Minister Scott Fielding announced that Manitoba’s 2019 budget will be presented on Thursday, March 7 after the provincial legislature resumes sitting.
“Three years ago, we made a promise to Manitobans to fix the finances, repair services and rebuild the provincial economy,” said Fielding. “I look forward to updating Manitobans on the significant progress we have made and the next steps we will take to make Manitoba the most improved province in Canada.”
Fielding noted the province continues to move in the right direction toward achieving balanced budgets based on summary financial results. The second quarter report for the 2018-19 fiscal year cites a summary deficit of $518 million, which is an improvement of $177 million over the 2017-18 year-end deficit of $695 million.
“We are making consistent progress in reducing the deficit, while protecting and improving the front-line services Manitobans rely on,” said Fielding. “We are keeping our promises and we are getting the job done.”
The minister noted the government remains committed to returning the budget to balance in its second term and reducing the PST to seven per cent by 2020.
