Industry group launches online petition demanding changes as tens of thousands of small firms remain ineligible
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has launched an online petition pushing for important changes to the federal government’s COVID-19 aid programs.
In a statement, CFIB President Dan Kelly noted that months of closures, weaker sales, and new costs have battered small businesses, resulting in an estimated 158,000 small firms – representing one in seven – now in danger of closing.
While the three major government support programs have helped many independent entrepreneurs, tens of thousands remain ineligible, notably for the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan and the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) programs.
“Government needs to understand that there is a growing anger on the part of business owners who are left out by these critical supports,” Kelly said, inviting all small business owners to join the petition on the CFIB website.
CIB reiterated its demands to change key features of current aid programs including, among others:
- Extending the deadline for the CEBA program, expand access to more firms, and raising the loan amount to $60,000 and the forgivable portion to 50%;
- Allowing tenants to access CECRA directly rather than rely on their landlord’s participation, and expanding coverage to include firms with lower levels of business losses;
- Ensuring that aid offered through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) stops if an employee is offered their old job back, except in cases where there are sickness or family issues; and
- Simplifying the application process for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), as well as adding provisions for business owners and their family owners working in the business to get some of their dividend income covered.
“So many small business owners continue to struggle as we move through a slow recovery phase,” Kelly said. “We urge government to take their concerns seriously and implement these critical changes immediately.”
The petition has garnered over 7,000 signatures.
