PROVINCIAL BUDGET 2011-122011-12 While other Canadian provinces’ debt load and interest payments are on the rise, Saskatchewan is paying down debt and lowering interest costs. PROVINCIAL

PROVINCIAL BUDGET

2011-12

PROVINCIAL BUDGET

2011-12

While other governments are running large deficits, adding to their debt load and being forced to cut services, The Saskatchewan Advantage means our government is able to lower taxes, reduce debt, and improve public services.

The 2011-12 Budget is a common sense plan that builds on The Saskatchewan Advantage and continues the positive momentum Saskatchewan people have created. Today, Saskatchewan’s economy is leading the

nation in growth, our population continues to hit new record highs, and our job market is strong.

All of this together adds up to The Saskatchewan Advantage.

Saskatchewan is blessed with so many advantages.

Our abundant natural resources.

Our pristine environment.

Our tremendous quality of life.

And our greatest advantage of all – Saskatchewan people.

DebtReDuction Budget2011-12willpaydowndebtbyanother

$325million,bringingSaskatchewan’sgovernmentgeneraldebtlevelto$3.81billion,thelowestlevelsince1987-88.

Since2007,theSaskatchewangovernmenthaspaiddownmorethan$3billionindebt.Today,theprovince’sdebttoGDP(GrossDomesticProduct)ratioisoneofthelowestinthecountry.

Byreducingourdebt,weareabletolowertheamountofinterestcostswepayeachyear,ensuringthatSaskatchewanseesanadvantageovermostotherprovinces.

Lower taxes:Strengtheningoureconomyand

makinglifemoreaffordable.

Improved quality of life:

Increasedsupportforhealth,education,housingandfamilies.

Lower debt &balanced budgets:

Debtreductionnowtotalsover$3billionsince2007.

Lowertaxes,betterpublicservices

andlessdebt...

The New SaSkaTchewaN –LoweRtaxesmakeLifemoReaffoRDabLe.

The New SaSkaTchewaN –aneconomicLeaDeRincanaDa.

the2011-12saskatchewanaDvantage

buDgetDeLiveRs:

LoweRtaxes LowerIncomeTaxesforIndividuals

andFamilies

The2011-12Budgetreducedincometaxesforindividualsandfamiliesbyincreasingthebasicpersonalandspousalexemptionsby$1,000each,andbyincreasingtheexemptionfordependentchildrenby$500perchild.Asaresult:

• Afamilyoffourwillpaynoincometaxontheirfirst$45,550ofearnedincome,thehighestincomethresholdinCanada

• Anindividualtaxpayerwillpaynoincometaxonhisorherfirst$17,580ofearnedincome

• Asaresultofallthetaxchangesintroducedsince2007,afamilyoffourearning$50,000willsave$2,447inincometaxesthisyear

• Over110,000Saskatchewanresidentswillpaynoprovincialincometaxatallasaresultoftaxreductionssince2007

• Totaltaxcutsandenhancedbenefitssince2007amountto$420millionin2011

Lowerincometaxesforindividualsandfamilies.that’sthesaskatchewanadvantage.

LowerTaxesforSmallBusiness

Budget2011-12cutsthesmallbusinesstaxratebymorethanhalf,from4.5percentto2percent–thethirdlowesttaxrateinthecountry.

ThisputsSaskatchewanbusinessesinamuchmorecompetitivepositionandencouragesthemtoexpandtheirbusinessesandhirenewemployees.

Lowertaxesforbusinesses.that’sthesaskatchewanadvantage.

LowerPropertyTaxesforHomeowners,FarmersandBusinesses

Twoyearsago,ourgovernmentbeganthetaskofreducingtheonerousburdenoftheeducationportionofpropertytax.

Wesimplifiedthetaxstructurebyapplyingconsistentmillratesacrosstheprovince.

ThisyearinBudget2011-12,weareimplementingthesecondphaseofeducationpropertytaxreductions:

• Propertytaxreliefin2011-12willamountto$55.6million

• Farmerswillseetheireducationpropertytaxreducedbyabout80percent

• Homeownerswillseetheireducationpropertytaxreducedbyabout29percent

• Businesseswillseetheireducationpropertytaxreducedbyabout17percent,includingthisyear’sreductiononthemiddletierofthecommercialmillratefrom15.75to14.75

• Theprovince’sshareofthetotalcostofeducationhasnowrisenfromalowofabout40percentinthe1990stoabout65percenttoday,whilethetaxpayers’sharehasfallenfromahighofabout60percenttoabout35percenttoday

Overall,thisrepresentsthelargestpropertytaxreductioninSaskatchewanhistory.

Lowerpropertytaxesforhomeowners,farmersandbusinesses.that’sthesaskatchewanadvantage.

PROVINCIAL BUDGET

2011-12

While other Canadian provinces’ debt load and interest payments are on the rise, Saskatchewan is paying down debt and lowering interest costs.

PROVINCIAL BUDGET

2011-12

Saskatchewan family of four earning $50,000 will save $2,447 in income taxes this year.

3.9

2.7

3.6

2.7 2.72.3

1.8 1.7

2.1

3.9

RealEconomicGrowthRateAmongProvinces2011average of private sector forecasts as of March 16, 2011

LoweringtheDebt(since2007)

since2007,saskatchewanhasreducedtheProvincialdebtby$3billion.

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$ Bi

llions

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2011-122007-08 2011-12

$3.8 Billion

2007-08

$6.8 Billion

The New SaSkaTchewaN –thebestPLacetoLive.

WeareinvestinginCommunitiesandInfrastructure

• $216.8millioninmunicipalrevenuesharing–a$49.4millionincreasefromlastyearaswecompleteourcommitmenttoalong-term,stablefundingformulabasedonthePST

• $285millionforhighways,and$129milliontorepairandrebuildbridgesandroads

• $134.1millionformunicipalinfrastructure,with$70.3millionallocatedtofederal-provincialinfrastructureprojects,includingfundingextendedunderthefederalstimulusprograms

infrastructurethatmeetstheneedsofagrowingprovince.that’sthesaskatchewanadvantage.

WeareinvestinginPublicSafety

$13.2millionmoreforpolicingservices,including:

•$7.6millionfortheprovincialpolicingservice

•$5.2milliontocompletethegovernment’spromisetohire120policeofficersoverfouryears

•$7milliontobeginconstructionofa32-celladditiontoPineGroveCorrectionalCentre

•$250,000tocontinuedevelopmentoftheWesternGangDatabase

safercommunities.that’sthesaskatchewanadvantage.

WeareinvestinginRuralSaskatchewan

• $321milliontofullyfundthecostoffarmstabilizationprograms

• RecordCropInsurancecoverage

• $55.6milliontocompletetheEducationPropertyTaxreductionswhichwillcuteducationtaxonfarmlandby80percent

avibrant,growingfarmsectorandruraleconomy. that’sthesaskatchewanadvantage.

WeareinvestinginInnovation

• $18.2millionforagriculturalresearchanddevelopment,including$1.25millionforagriculturalbiotechnologyresearch

• $18.1million,anincreaseof$1.5millionforresearchcapacityattheSaskatchewanResearchCouncil

• $2.6millionfor2011-12,orupto$5.2milliononanannualbasisfortheRenewableDieselProgramtoproduceupto40millionlitresofbiodieselperyear

• $2.6millioninoperatingfundingfortheCanadianLightSourcesynchrotron

supportforinnovationandaknowledge-basedeconomy.that’sthesaskatchewanadvantage.

WeareinvestinginAffordableHousing

• Upto$1.5millioninup-frontprovincialincentivestoapartmentbuilderstooffsetthecostofeducationpropertytaxonasmanyas650newunitsperyear

• SupportforMunicipalAffordableHomeOwnershipprogramsthatprovidehomeownerswithgrantsforhomepurchases

moreaffordablehousingforsaskatchewanfamilies. that’sthesaskatchewanadvantage.

imPRovingouRQuaLityofLife

Saskatchewan’seconomyisleadingthenationandourpopulationisgrowingatitsfastestrateinover50years.

Atatimewhenothergovernmentsarerunninglargedeficitsandcuttingservices,ourgrowingeconomyandpopulationmeansthatwecanlowertaxes,reducedebt,improvepublicservicesandbalanceourbudget.

that’sthesaskatchewanadvantage.

Budget2011-12makesimportantinvestmentsinfront-lineservicestosupportfamiliesandimprovehealth,educationalandsocialoutcomes.

WeareputtingPatientsFirst

• $250millionmoreinoperatingfundingforRegionalHealthAuthorities(RHAs)whichwillfund:

-Moresurgeriestoshortenwaittimes -Anenhancedkidneyandbonemarrowtransplantprogram -Increasedcolorectalscreening -EnhancedtreatmentsforFetalAlcoholSpectrumDisorder(FASD) -ProgrammingforAutismSpectrumDisorder(ASD) -Anewemergencyhelicopterairambulanceservice

• Increasedsupportof11.5percentfortheSaskatchewanCancerAgencywillfund:

-morechemotherapytreatments

-moremammograms -doublingbonemarrow

transplants

• Wearefurthersupportingdiagnosticswithanextra$5.2millionwhichwillprovidefor:

-4,950moreMRIpatients -12,850moreCTpatients

ahealthcaresystemthatputspatientsfirst.that’sthesaskatchewanadvantage.

WeareinvestinginStudents

• $20.8millionmoretouniversitiestoholdtuitionincreasestothreepercent

• $3milliontoestablishaSaskatchewanScholarshipFund

• $36.4millionincreaseforschooloperatingexpenses

• $2millionforimmigrationservicesandEnglishasanAdditionalLanguagetraining

• $6.1millioninplanningdollarsforninenewschoolcapitalprojects

• $2.9millionforprogrammingtoimproveeducationaloutcomesforAboriginalstudents

• $2.6milliontodevelop40morePrekindergartenprograms,providingspaceforupto640youngsters

• $4.4millionforAdultBasicEducation

bettereducationforchildrenandpost-secondarystudents.that’sthesaskatchewanadvantage.

WeareinvestinginChildren

Budget2011-12respondstotheChildWelfareReviewwithaco-ordinatedapproachacrossgovernment.FromatotalChildWelfarebudgetof$217.5million,wewillprovide$6.7millionto:

•IncreasepaymentstoFirstNationsforfosteringchildrenon-reserve

•Enhanceintensivefamilysupports

•Addupto30additionalchildprotectionworkers

•ContractCBOstoprovidehomeassessmentsandsupervisevisitationofparentsandchildren

•EnhancethesuccessfulFamilyFindersprogramtoconnectFirstNationschildrenwithFirstNationsfosterhomes

moresupportforchildrenandfamilies.that’sthesaskatchewanadvantage.

To learn more about the 2011-12 Saskatchewan Advantage Budget, visit www.finance.gov.sk.ca

Lower taxes Improved quality of life Lower debt

Leading the way with balanced budgets.