Canadian job creation stalled in October, while the national unemployment rate held at 7.4%. Closer analysis of the data reveals that the western provinces have had lower-than-average rates of unemployment, compared to higher-than-average rates of unemployment in Ontario and the… Read more »
Minister Flaherty Tables Corporate Income Tax Changes
The Minister of Finance, Jim Flaherty, has tabled a detailed Notice of Ways and Means Motion to implement income tax reforms. The majority of the measures were related to corporate tax, and include an overhaul of the Scientific Research and… Read more »
Canadian Businesses Encouraged to Invest in Economy
Canada’s corporate tax rate, reduced from 19% to 15% in 2012, currently creates a tax burden that is the second-lowest among developed countries, according to a recent KPMG survey. The central bank has held the main interest rate at only… Read more »
CME Suggests Tax Reforms a Necessity for Manufacturing Growth
A pre-budget submission published last week by Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) makes recommendations to increase Canada’s tax competitiveness to spur global investment. Their recommendations can be summarized as follows: 1. PRODUCTIVITY – Make the Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance (ACCA),… Read more »
Increase Productivity by Opening Export Markets
Jeremy Leonard opines in the Financial Post that although Canada leads the G7 in GDP and employment growth during the past decade, labour productivity growth is lagging. Labour productivity growth slowed to an average of just 0.7% per year int… Read more »
OECD Economic Survey: Research and Development Outlook in Canada
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released the June 2012 results of the OECD Economic Surveys for Canada’s macro-economic state of affairs. The report indicates that the economy is picking up, with a positive outlook for continued moderate… Read more »
EVERY DROP COUNTS: Green Week Conference 2012 – Conserving water through innovation.
Water is essential for sustaining life, as well as our economy. With less than one percent of the world’s fresh water currently accessible for direct human use, water supplies are now a major global concern impacting not only our daily… Read more »
Reactions to The U.S. Bioeconomy Blueprint: Innovation and concerns loom on the horizon.
The 2012 U.S. National Bioeconomy Blueprint was announced on April 26th with the purpose of assessing strategic objectives to maximise on the U.S. bioeconomy potential and to highlight ongoing efforts to meet those objectives. However, many are concerned that the blueprint predominantly… Read more »
Potential Turnaround Looms in Canadian Economy
An index of Canadian business confidence has risen higher for the second straight quarter. The Conference Board of Canada’s business confidence index sits at 101.8 for the first quarter of 2012, up 2.5 points over the fourth quarter of 2011. … Read more »