Chamber preps for AGM
Trevor Nichols - May 21, 2018 - Biz Releases

Image: Trevor Nichols
Kelowna Chamber of Commerce president Carmen Sparg

The proposed speculation tax, the new payroll tax, and electoral reform top the list of policy concerns as the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce prepares for the BC Chamber AGM, which will start May 24 in Kamloops.

The Kelowna Chamber hosted a review session for all eight valley Chambers of Commerce, where chamber executive directors and board members came together to review locally-generated policies.

Carmen Sparg, the president of the Kelowna chamber, is attending the Kamloops session.

“Garnering the most interest of the valley policies being tabled in Kamloops is the Kelowna-originated policy ‘Anti-Canadian Tariff: Pressing the Pause Button on BC’s Proposed Speculation Tax.’ Even before the draft policy manual was published late last week, twelve chambers throughout the province had heard of our new policy and had signed on to support,” she says.

The Speculation Tax policy reflects the reaction of business and industry over what it feels is a lack of consultation prior to the tax changes introduced earlier this year.

“The lack of consultation or economic analysis is highlighted in the policy’s background. Recommendations to the provincial government include scrapping the tax altogether; clarifying the economic impact and demonstrating how the tax makes housing more affordable; and monitoring supply and demand. We’ve heard loud and clear from our members that the negative effects of this policy are resonating throughout multiple industries in Kelowna,” the Co-Chair of Kelowna’s Policy Advisory committee, Ron Cannan, says.

Other policies written by the Kelowna chamber’s policy committee include a call for Agricultural Land Commission regulation reform; engaging businesses and the community on electoral reform; increasing the impact of the digital media industry; reducing or removing the inter-provincial trade barriers to the beer and wine industries; and property transfer tax reform.


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