Canada Budget Careful Hidden Agenda

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Quiz. What animal gives with the right hand, and repossesses with the left?

Ottawa Canada April 16, 2024: Chrystia Freeland, Finance Minister presented the 2024 budget. It has slices for most stakeholders but I’m skeptical because of the small print. The government never gives anything for free. There’s always a catch.

COVID-19 pandemic lesson

I remember telling a friend who lives in another continent that the Canadian government stepped up for us during the pandemic. It gave us money to keep body and soul together. I even said opposition parties were on their best behavior because they approved the COVID-19 funds called, Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). We were on quarantine. We couldn’t go shopping, our national hobby so the government gave businesses a loan called, the Canada Emergency Business account (CEBA).

Ordinary people had a rude awakening when they did their 2020 taxes. The government regarded CERB as income and taxed it. It was not supposed to be, because the pandemic was not our fault. It’s the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. that decided to shut down the whole world. We were forced not to go to work. It was not on our own free will. It’s like a hurricane. Destruction all around. The government gives financial relief, and taxes it.

Ordinary people did not know that COVID-19 money was going to be taxed. They thought the government was putting to good use, taxes it had been siphoning from our salaries and wages for years, and continues to do so.

Business Financial Difficulties

Business on the other hand, knew the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) was a loan. Once again, why a loan? Like us, business was not responsible for COVID-19. The government gave them deadlines when to repay the loan. It was not easy, because business did not spring back into action. COVID-19 restrictions were finally lifted, but it took us a while to adjust to going out and  spending money. Some businesses went under because of CEBA. Others had to borrow money to pay off the government loan that was not supposed to be a loan. We are not responsible for natural disasters like the pandemic.

Another pandemic? Does the government expect compliance, when there are certain things it intentionally hid from us? I don’t think so. We appreciate the 2024 budget, but beneficiaries must remember that the government gives with the right hand, and repossesses with the left.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Blogger Without Borders

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