N.B. Operators Discuss Possible HST Hike

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MONCTON, N.B. — Many Moncton business owners are hoping the province’s controversial harmonized sales tax (HST) will hold steady at 13 per cent, CBC News reports.

According to the report, arguments as to whether or not to raise the HST were made at a recent Future N.B summit, where some business representatives warned of potential consequences for the province’s tourism industry, while others argued that a hike might alleviate current economic troubles.

“Moncton, we have to admit it, is a retail mecca in Atlantic Canada,” Andreea Bourgeois, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, told the CBC. “It is the gateway to a lot of tourist attentions in the province. It has a major airport and so on, so businesses here would be hurt significantly by an increase in HST.”

The HST — recently implemented in B.C. and Ontario — has been a source of contention for business owners, including those in the foodservice industry. The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) has expressed fears about the tax’s impact on the industry.

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