UPDATES THIS WEEK:

Measures for businesses announced on March 19:

• • Essentially eliminating the payroll tax for three months by providing a 10% wage subsidy to small businesses – this will keep people employed;
  • Helping businesses with cash flow by deferring tax payments until August 31st;
  • Increase credit available to farmers through Farm Credit Canada.
  • Introducing a new Emergency Care Benefit of up to $900 bi-weekly for up to 15 weeks for self-employed people who are not eligible for EI sickness benefits.

This builds on announcements earlier this week to help businesses:

• • A coordinated approach with the financial sector: cutting interest rates to 0.75%, and major banks increasing lending capacity by $300 billion;
  • Establishing a Business Credit Availability Program through BDC and EDC worth $10 billion – this means more short-term loans, working capital, and export insurance-credit so that more Canadian businesses are supported.
  • Enhancing the Work-Sharing Program to help businesses pay wages so they don’t have to lay anyone off;

Canada and the US are temporarily restricting all non-essential travel across our border. Essential travel will continue. We recognize it is critical to preserve supply chains between both countries to ensure things like food, fuel, and life-saving medicines reach people on both sides. People who must cross the border for work, and trucking will not be impacted by this new measure.

For more details on all measures announced including more support for workers, Indigenous peoples, and Canadians across the country:

WHERE TO START:

We understand that many Canadian business owners and entrepreneurs are anxious about how to get the help you need in the face of COVID-19. Here are a few good places to start:

1. Visit website for businesses for information about supporting your employees and your business. It will be constantly updated as the COVID-19 crisis evolve.
2. Download the Canada Business App to find tailored supports to address your specific needs and questions about COVID-19.
3. Contact your bank. Canada’s banks have made a commitment to support businesses and individuals through these difficult times in a responsible, fair, and compassionate way. To help provide some stability for businesses through this time of uncertainty, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) is lowering the Domestic Stability Buffer requirement, releasing more than $300 billion of additional lending capacity for Canadian financial institutions.

COVID-19 Information for Surrey Businesses

As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is creating increased uncertainty in the economic landscape, the City of Surrey is actively monitoring the situation and creating strategies and resources to limit the impact on our local businesses. We will be providing regular updates for businesses on the latest business information and resources available to weather the economic downturn. We have also created a centralized information hub where you can find the most recent news, insights, opportunities, and resources in one webpage.

Important | COVID-19 Business Survey

We would like to hear from local business owners on your current operations in light of the current global economic conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This 5-10 minute survey will allow us to identify opportunities for programmatic support as we liaise with senior levels of government to support businesses like yours, as well as help us to understand your capacity to provide supplies and services to governments as we combat COVID-19.

Support for Surrey Businesses

Access How-To Guides, Templates and Opportunities Relevant to COVID-19

We have compiled a number of business resources from institutions and associations at various levels of government aimed towards supporting business continuity and planning through the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 crisis. These include documents on best practices, financial support measures, business opportunities, business continuity plans, and employment support.

Statement from Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards on the Surrey RCMP’s response to COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Surrey RCMP is taking proactive steps to ensure that the safety of Surrey residents will not be compromised, should illness occur within our detachment. We have also implemented a number of measures to protect the health of our police officers, support staff, volunteers and Auxiliaries. I want to assure citizens that we have several layers to our business continuity plans and multiple tiers of resources that we can redirect to frontline policing.