As the economy opens up and businesses work to safely bring back customers, access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is vital.
 
To help ensure supplies are available, a PPE Marketplace has been created by Small Business BC and the provincial government. Businesses can access a searchable directory to easily locate suppliers with the non-medical PPE needed to operate safely during the pandemic.
 
As well, suppliers of PPEs interested in being listed as a vendor can request to be part of the marketplace.
 
The Chamber has been working with Small Business BC and the provincial government since measures were first introduced to protect British Columbians from the spread of COVID-19.

The federal government announced July 8 that it is projecting a deficit of $343 billion due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The number is staggering and it will take decades for Canada to fully recover.
 
The Chamber, along with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, is calling on the federal government to transition from a subsidy-based response to one focused on investments aimed at restoring economic growth and getting Canadians back to work.
 
“Today should have been an opportunity to offer Canadians a clear picture of the challenges and a coherent strategy to address them,” said a statement from the Canadian Chamber. “What businesses, investors, analysts and Canadians alike wanted to hear was how we will move away from the short-term measures that are quickly draining the federal treasury to helping families and businesses once again become self-sufficient.”

The provincial government has reduced licensing costs for taxi and limo operators to help the sector through the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.
 
On June 22, the annual licence renewal fee was reduced for commercial operators who hold a Passenger Directed Vehicle Authorization, which includes taxi and limousine operators. In the past, these licensees paid an annual fee of $100 per vehicle with no overall fee cap. It has been reduced to $50 per vehicle with a licence fee cap of $5,000.

Canada Day also marks the official start of the Canada US Mexico Agreement on trilateral trade. The deal has been welcomed for providing long-term stability that will allow businesses to plan for a predictable future. However, there are also questions about the deal in light of the rapid pace of change that has occurred over the last several months.
 
“With trade between NAFTA members valued at nearly $1.5 trillion in 2018, we can’t overstate how vital it is to maintain free and fair trade between our three countries,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on June 29.
 
READ MORE: CTV News – What ‘new NAFTA’ means for Canada