The Government of Saskatchewan has announced the Saskatchewan Small Business Emergency Payment program will be extended to the month of May, for businesses that are required to remain closed or have had business impacted substantially.
Premier Scott Moe says if a business was already approved for the initial payment of up to $5,000 and remains closed or curtailed they will automatically receive a second payment and do not need to re-apply. Moe says, to date, the province has processed 4600 applications and provided an excess of $15 million of support to Saskatchewan small businesses.
Launched on April 13th, the SSBEP program is a $50 million program providing support to small and medium businesses. Eligible applicants receive a payment of 15 per cent of their sales revenue from April 2019 or February 2020 up to $5,000 to help with expenses.
The Premier also announced re-opening dates for several businesses including drive-in theaters, which will be able to open on May 15th, and farmer’s markets which will be allowed to re-open on May 19th. He added these businesses will need to follow a number of protocols and guidelines to keep their employees and customers safe.
Job Losses in the Province
Statistics Canada has released the latest numbers when it comes to job losses during the pandemic and 71,000 people have lost their jobs in Saskatchewan.
Premier Scott Moe says the numbers are very troubling and the government is concerned, but there is some optimism to be taken from the stats. He says, Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate is 11.3% and while that is very high, and quite concerning,it is the second lowest unemployment rate in the country. The Premier says Saskatchewan is weathering the storm better than many provinces.
