Helping women entrepreneurs get the funding they need to run a successful business will be key to our economic recovery. A recently released report by the Women’s Enterprise Centre helps explain the unique challenges facing women who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
 
This report outlines strategies to get back to growing the overall number of women entrepreneurs, as was happening before COVID-19.

After many months of calling on governments to help transportation businesses that have been devastated by the pandemic, the province finally delivered good news yesterday.
 
Funding of up to $10.7 million is available for inter-city bus operators, as well as up to $16.5 million for regional airports to support operations for one year starting April 1.
 
“During the pandemic, inter-city bus operators that connect rural and remote communities and regional airports that provide medical safety services experienced a significant drop in ridership,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure in a news release. “This relief funding will help these vital services stay open and be ready for a strong recovery when travel restrictions are relieved by the COVID-19 vaccination effort in BC”
 
Minister Fleming, who spoke to Chamber members on March 2 as part of our Business Restart Series with provincial ministers, said relief would be announced soon to ensure valuable transportation services get through the pandemic.
 
“Today is filled with a sense of overwhelming gratitude and relief for the inter-city ground transportation sector across the province, but more importantly for the members of our rural, remote and Indigenous communities that rely on these services,” John Wilson, president and CEO, Wilson’s Group of Companies said. “With the announcement of this grant, I am pleased to say we will be looking at restarting services in the coming weeks to ensure Vancouver Island once again has the connectivity that so many members of our communities need.”

BC’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation has agreed to extend the application deadline for the Business Recovery Grant from March 31 to Aug. 31.
 
The Hon. Ravi Kahlon spoke to Chamber members on Feb. 18 as part of our Business Restart Series with provincial ministers. At that time, he said he was listening to businesses and would adjust the program to ensure pandemic relief was available.
 
As well, businesses are required to demonstrate a 30% revenue loss in any one month between March 2020 to the point of application. That’s significantly lower than the previous requirement of at least 70% revenue loss in March or April 2020.
 
The $345-million program provides fully funded grants to businesses that employ up to 149 BC residents. Grants can be up to $30,000, with an additional $15,000 available to tourism-related businesses.

Two planned tax changes that were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic will go into effect on April 1, 2021.
 
Starting next month, Provincial Sales Tax will be charged on carbonated beverages that contain sugar, natural sweeteners or artificial sweeteners. The products are currently exempt from PST.
 
As of April 1, PST must also be collected by e-commerce businesses outside the province, such as US-based services Netflix and Disney Plus.