Saskatchewan Budget

The 2019-20 Budget is balanced with a projected surplus of $34.4 million. It is the result of:

• Careful and disciplined expense management
• A shift away from reliance on volatile resource revenue toward a stronger, broadened revenue base
• A three-year, sound fiscal plan

This Budget achieves the right balance by investing to help meet the needs of a growing population and economy, while ensuring debt is managed responsibly.

The 2019-20 Budget strikes the right balance by keeping taxes low while providing quality services for all Saskatchewan people. Saskatchewan has among the lowest personal and business tax rates in the country.

• Personal Income Tax (PIT) reductions over the past 10 plus years provide more than $610 million in annual savings for Saskatchewan people.
• This Budget includes new, non-refundable tax credits for volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency medical first responders. Beginning with the 2020 taxation year, these tax credits will help make life more affordable, while recognizing the value of volunteers who put themselves at risk to protect their neighbours and communities.

The 2019-20 Budget is the right balance of investments in safety.

• $13 million for the first year of a five-year, $65 million Enhanced Intersection Safety Program to improve signage, sight lines, lighting, and safety features like rumble strips at intersections
• Over $60 million for twinning/passing lanes
• $1.1 million for drug-impaired driving detection training
• Support for rural crime initiatives
  
  

Government continues to manage spending in the 2019-20 Budget, balanced with investments in priority areas to meet the needs of Saskatchewan people.  

• Almost $30 million more for targeted mental health and addictions funding
• $12 million for a new, 72-bed, long-term care facility in Meadow Lake, fulfilling the commitment to replace 13 aging long-term care facilities for seniors
• $1.9 billion in K-12 operating funding for 2019-20, a $26 million increase in funding that goes directly into classrooms
• Increase to student loan program serving more than 18,000 students in 2019-20
• Over $660,000 increase to Alzheimer Society
• Individualized Autism funding for children under six increases from $4,000 to $6,000
• $6.3 million increase for Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability program 
  
  

The 2019-20 Budget outlines $1.6 billion of capital investment in the commercial Crown sector and $1.1 billion in capital investment of Executive Government ministries and agencies, for a combined total of $2.7 billion. 

• Funding to improve almost 1,000 kilometres of Saskatchewan highways
• $3.3 million planning and design for three new schools, including the consolidation of Argyle School and École St. Pius X into a joint-use school in Regina; a new facility to replace Sacred Heart, St. Mary, Empire and Westmount schools in Moose Jaw; and funding to plan the replacement of St. Frances in Saskatoon
• $2.5 million to advance preconstruction design of the new Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert
• $2.5 million to plan and design a new hospital in Weyburn