REGINA — Saskatchewan’s opposition is pushing the provincial government to cap the fees charged by food-delivery services during the pandemic.
Ontario and B.C. have placed caps on the largest food-delivery apps, while the pandemic continues, in an effort to alleviate the pressure on businesses forced to rely largely — and at some points exclusively — on off-premise orders due to local public-health orders.
NDP jobs and economy critic Aleana Young says she would like to see a cap put in place immediately, which would stay in effect until three months after the province’s state of emergency is lifted. She is also calling for a five-per-cent cap on the platforms’ processing fees to prevent revenue losses being passed on to drivers.
The province has indicated it is monitoring the caps implemented in other provinces and released a statement noting it has extended “a number of the business-support programs” it’s offering in an effort to support the restaurant sector.
These supports include the Strong Recovery Adaptation Rebate (SRAR), which launched in December and is designed to assist small businesses by reimbursing the incremental investments they’ve made to adapt their business models as a result of the pandemic. This includes upgrading technology to enhance their e-commerce platforms. Eligible applicants will receive a 50-per-cent reimbursement for eligible expenditures, with a maximum rebate of $5,000.
