Alberta still on track for $10.3B deficit, but signs point to rising economy
EDMONTON — Alberta remains on track to rack up a $10.3-billion deficit this year, but Finance Minister Joe Ceci says there are signs pointing to a continued rebound in the economy.
The second-quarter fiscal update predicts the economy will grow by four per cent in 2017 — up from the 2.6 per cent forecast in last spring’s budget.
Ceci says more than 70,000 full-time jobs have been added in the last 1 1/2 years, most of them in the private sector.
He also says the government is still committed to belt-tightening and has found $300 million towards its goal of saving $400 million this year through in-house savings.