December 12, 2014
Manitoba Government Releases Second Quarter Financial Results
The release of the Manitoba government’s second quarter financial report shows the province continues to return to budgetary balance responsibly while protecting front-line services, meeting demands for health and social services, and helping to protect Manitobans from flooding, Finance Minister Greg Dewar said today.
The report states that reducing expenditures in government departments and focusing on protecting front-line services continues to be a priority, with 12 of 18 government departments projecting to come in under budget.
“We’ve made a commitment to Manitobans and their families that we will protect the services they value most while we invest in infrastructure projects that will stimulate our economy and create jobs. This report shows that we’re doing exactly that,” said Minister Dewar.
Manitoba’s summary deficit is projected to be $402 million, slightly higher than budgeted but a decline of $120 million from last fiscal year.
The report shows expenditure pressures due to increased demands in services for families, such as health care, child protection and social services as well as costs related to this past summers’ rainfall and flooding.
“By taking a balanced approach, we can stay focused on the priorities of Manitobans and continue with our commitments of finding efficiencies and other savings that won’t deprive families of the services they depend on,” said Minister Dewar. “We will continue to prudently reduce our deficit without deep cuts that sacrifice services that families count on.”
This is the first time a core infrastructure projection is included in the Manitoba government’s quarterly report, the minister said, noting core infrastructure investments are projected to jump by more than $100 million over the previous year. This, despite losing dozens of construction work days this year due to a long winter, triple the normal precipitation in the spring and the lag in redirecting the focus from planned construction work to address flood response and repairs, said the minister.
The second quarter financial report can be viewed at www.gov.mb.ca/finance/index.html.
Minister Dewar noted preparation for Budget 2015 has been moving along and pre-budget meetings have been held in Brandon, Swan River, Dauphin, Lorette and Arborg. The minister hosted two successful budget telephone town halls last month in which close to 10,000 Manitobans participated.
Manitobans are still invited to share their views through pre-budget consultations at: www.gov.mb.ca/finance/consult/intro.html.
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