While anti-HST organizers say they have collected enough signatures to force the government to reconsider the controversial Harmonized Sales Tax, some B.C. business owners and economists say the HST could be good for the economy.
While service-oriented businesses like restaurants are expected to be negatively impacted by the HST, some businesses such as building contractors are expected to benefit.
"Doing our research, we have found that from a global perspective tax harmonization is good for the economy," Weldon LeBlanc, CEO of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, told CTV News.
LeBlanc says that since the HST is such a hot-button issue, many business owners hesitate to discuss the benefits of the tax.
"I've talked to them," said LeBlanc. "They're saying, ‘Yeah, this is good. Am I going public with it? No.'"
Don Tamaki of Campion Boats says the money his company spends on provincial tax will be money saved starting July 1.
"We can use the offsets or the input tax credits against the tax that we've collected and minus that off and basically get our PST back," Tamaki told CTV News.
Mark Whittle of Falcon Ladders also expects to get a boost from the HST.
"It will help us stay in business," said Whittle. "And that's what we're looking for is a bit of an edge in the province of British Columbia over other places."
Jon Kesselman of Simon Fraser University's Public Policy Program says the HST will also benefit the broader economy.
"The HST will make our businesses more competitive," he told CTV News. "It will encourage more investment which means growing jobs, higher wages and more exports from B.C. to the rest of Canada and around the world."
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Kent Molgat
