Yukon Finance Minister Sandy Silver appears in Ottawa on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. Silver tabled the territory's budget in the legislature, predicting a surplus of $48.2 million. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
WHITEHORSE – The Yukon government is predicting a $48.2-million surplus in 2023 with a budget promising cash for housing, health care, infrastructure and inflation relief.
The document, tabled by Finance Minister Sandy Silver, is the first budget of new Premier Ranj Pillai, who took over the top job from Silver earlier this year.
Silver told the legislature that the government is delivering programs and services that meet today’s needs while investing in infrastructure for the future.
The 2023 budget includes almost $10 million in inflation relief measures, $3.6 million for the territory’s new dental program, $26 million in land development projects and more than $40 million to stimulate housing development.
Silver said there’s also $61.4 million for infrastructure including local projects like community centres, recreational facilities, boat launches, fire halls, EMS stations and public works buildings.
The budget earmarks $4 million for efforts to increase health-care workers in the territory.
In total, the territory is predicting $484 million in capital spending and $1.45 billion in operations and maintenance expenditures for this fiscal year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 2, 2023.
