Saskatchewan’s provincial deficit has risen to a new height.
Premier Brad Wall unveiled the latest figures for the deficit during the 2017 meeting of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA), which is currently taking place in Saskatoon.
The deficit had previously been estimated by the province to sit at around $1 billion, according to the last fiscal update issued by the government.
While speaking to reporters at SUMA, Wall also indicated that the deficit could result in less money from provincial sales taxes going to municipalities, due to a drop in revenue collected by the province.
“We have to let (SUMA) know that revenue sharing is on the table,” Wall told reporters. “And grants-in-lieu have to be on the table.”
Wall also indicated he still aims to balance the budget this year, despite the deficit.
“We’re not going to procrastinate,” he said. “We’re not going to do with other jurisdictions are doing and what happened in the past where provinces and the federal government said, ‘We’ll balance it somewhere down the road.’”
The next appearance for Wall and the members of his cabinet will take place during SUMA’s “bear pit” session, this Wednesday.