REGINA — Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall has posted a video message on Facebook in which he says there will be tax increases in the upcoming provincial budget.
Wall says the government didn't expect revenue from natural resources — such as potash and oil and gas — to fall more than $1 billion and stay that low for three years.
Wall says the budget on Wednesday will shift away from reliance on resource revenue and toward taxes to help make up the shortfall.
The premier says there will be a shift toward consumption taxes, but away from income taxes.
The government is also looking at the education portion of property taxes as well as the provincial sales tax, and wants public-sector wages and benefits cut by 3.5 per cent as the province struggles with a $1.2-billion deficit.
Last week, Wall told the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities that action must be taken to rebalance spending and revenues.
