The Saskatchewan government has given the green light to more than $920 million in additional funding for a number of provincial ministries.
The funds were part of a group of “special warrants” signed and approved by the lieutenant governor.
The lieutenant governor can approve such funding under the Financial Administration Act while the legislature is not in session, according to the provincial warrant orders. Saskatchewan’s legislature is not expected to resume until the spring, when the new budget is introduced.
The documents said the money was provided for expenses that are “urgently and immediately required for the public good.”
The total newly approved spending was approximately $923 million. It is expected to come from the provincial general revenue fund. Monies will be divided among 15 provincial ministries, according to the special warrant order documents.
These include:
- Finance Ministry to receive $19,221,000;
- Immigration and Career Training Ministry to get $3,600,000;
- Labour Relations and Workplace Safety to receive $1,400,000;
- Ministry of Highways allocation of $61,831,000;
- Minister of SaskBuilds and Procurement to receive $3,731,000;
- Minister of Education allocation of $54,000,000;
- Ministry of Health to get $502,900,000;
- Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety to receive $78,413,000;
- Minister Responsible for Firearms Secretariat to get $1,463,000;
- Ministry of Social Services allocation of $50,000,000;
- Ministry of Energy and Resources to receive $4,151,000;
- Ministry of Advanced Education to get $26,433,000;
- Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan will be given $790,000;
- Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Research Council allocation of $22,000,000;
- Ministry of Agriculture to receive $93,125,000.
The money was approved by the executive council on Feb. 7 and the funding is available until March 31, the end of the current fiscal year.
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It was a decision made within a week of a new lieutenant governor being put in place. Bernadette McIntyre was installed as the 24th lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan on Jan. 31, according to a provincial news release.
The government’s November 2024 fiscal update said the provincial debt would increase to $743.5 million, up from the $273.2 million deficit forecast in the 2024 budget.
The higher number was due to crop insurance payments made after a tough year of farming, the government said at the time. Officials said the numbers were not uncommon because the province relies heavily on exports.
Finance Minister Jim Reiter told reporters some quarters would see increases, while others would see decreases. He said trends were a better indicator of where the province was heading.
Revenues were expected to be more than $20 billion.
Saskatchewan’s total gross debt was estimated at $35.2 billion, an increase of $388.5 million from budget projections.
The province also said its net debt-to-GDP ratio was 13.9 percent.
The Canadian Press contributed to this article.
