Premier Blaine Higgs has announced that his government will set up a new service that will help proponents navigate the regulatory and approval process for large-scale projects. Premier Higgs made the announcement as part of the annual state of the province address.
“We know that with the right infrastructure, tax and policy environment, our province can become a natural magnet for investment,” he said. “We need to lessen our dependency on incentives, expand our tax base, reach one million in population and lower our median age.”
Higgs said the provincial government must be bold enough to aim higher and make the right changes to facilitate investment and spur business growth. That includes pursuing innovative technologies to boost the competitiveness of traditional resource sectors, more aggressively supporting export growth in key international markets, and focusing upon the areas where the province has a clear advantage.
“It is time for New Brunswick to let the world know that we are back on track,” said Higgs. “In addition to balancing the budget, for the second year in a row, the net debt is projected to go down this fiscal year by $233 million.”
The speech did not include specifics of the new service, nor did it provide a timeline for when the service will be put in place.
