By Angela Milano
EBC Greater Toronto Bureau

TORONTO (Eagle News) — Premier Doug Ford introduced the new Ontario Jobs and Recovery Committee which aims to help get businesses going and people back to work after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

Statistics Canada reported today that in the month of March, about 3.1 million Canadians have either lost their jobs or cut down their work hours because of the pandemic. In Ontario, there is a decrease of 402,800 in employment.

The Ontario Jobs and Recovery Committee was formed to address this issue by developing a solid action plan to mobilize economic growth and revive job creation after this pandemic passes.

Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance and Chair of this new committee, said that their top priority is to prepare Ontario’s Action Plan and be ready to launch as soon as the COVID-19 crisis is over. This action plan includes a “focus on job creation, opportunities for growth, and protecting our province from future threats,” Phillips said.

Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19 launched by the Ontario government is a $17 billion package with funding intended to help provide health care resources, support people and job loss and allow employers to defer Workplace Safety and Insurance payments, among others. This action plan also includes supporting families and individuals through social assistance and helping small businesses by providing loans.

All these efforts and the new Ontario Jobs and Recovery Committee are put in place to “to support and facilitate economic growth when we lift the State of Emergency. This starts with the Ontario Jobs and Recovery Committee, which will ensure we have a long-term, strategic vision to responsibly reopen our economy,” said Peter Bethlenfavy, President of the Treasury Board.

(Eagle News Service)