N.W.T. government ends and extends some COVID-19 relief for residents, businesses

The Northwest Territories government has extended some economic relief measures related to COVID-19 that have expired, relating to child care and transportation.

The government allocated an additional $557,000 to help licensed child-care programs, which now expires onSept. 30. Those specific measures include:

• Funding to pay up to 75 per cent of eligible fixed costs for child-care operators.
• Funding supports for cleaningchild-care spaces.

Some transportation-related fees will continue to be waived for businesses and residents.Those include:

• Deh Cho Bridge tolls (until Sept. 30).
• Truck permits (until Sept. 30).
• N.W.T. airport landing fees (until Dec. 31).
• Leases, licences, concession fees at all N.W.T. airports (until Dec. 31).

These measures were set to expire on June 30, states a government news release sent Monday.

Some of the COVID-19economic relief measures that have expired are:

• Increase in income assistance and exemptions in unearned income for those receivingincome assistance.
• Temporary wage top-up for licensed child-care employees.
• A program to pay 33 per cent of child-care fees for children of front-line workers.
• Waiver of food permit fees.
• Waiver of professional fees for N.W.T. Health and Social Services Department.

Up until June 30, the government says its measures provided about $36.9 million in relief for N.W.T. residents and businesses, according to the news release.

• Click here for a full list of what relief measures are expiredand what's extended

The government claims the extension of the above economic relief measures will save N.W.T. businesses and residents an additional $5.7 million.

In June,three committees of regular MLAs issued their recommendations to the N.W.T. government and mostly, they recommend the government stay the course with current COVID-19 benefits.