Prime Minister Stephen Harper, left, stands with Jeff Zabudsky, president of Sheridan College, as he visits the construction site of Sheridan College's Mississauga campus Thursday. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)
The federal government has heeded concerns from some municipalities that crucial stimulus projects won't be done on time to receive matching funds, and is extending the Economic Action Plan's deadline by seven months.
Announcing the extension in Mississauga, Ont., on Thursday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that while the "vast majority" of infrastructure projects are on track to be completed by the end of the 2010-2011 fiscal year, "not every project is likely to be completed by March 31."
The government's objective "was not to make bets with municipalities on meeting the deadline," Harper said.
The seven-month extension to Oct. 31, 2011, gives municipalities an extra construction season to complete projects.
Only projects that have started and incurred costs by March 31 will be eligible for the extension. Harper said he doesn't expect the extension to cost the government any more money.
In September, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said the government would be "fair and reasonable" with stimulus projects nearing completion but not finished by the end of March.
The government had also been asked to consider extreme weather that affected certain parts of the country during construction season, including the touchdown of Hurricane Igor in Newfoundland and weeks of stormy weather in Saskatchewan. Harper referred to both regions in his announcement.
Source: http://www.cbc.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment