-- Tuesday's decision by the Canadian government to temporarily suspend excise fuel taxes on gasoline and diesel will provide welcome relief for small businesses already squeezed by high costs, said the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
It is good to see both the government and the official opposition supporting action on this critical issue, noted CFIB.
The group said business owners have been feeling significant energy cost pressures and uncertainty over the past two months, it added. Nearly two-thirds of small businesses report they are currently absorbing additional fuel costs, while about a third have increased their prices as a result.
The next step for the federal government should be to permanently eliminate the tax-on-tax treatment of charging the GST on gasoline and diesel fuel taxes, stated CFIB. Provincial governments should also follow suit and pause their fuel excise and sales taxes.