Saskatchewan to distribute $500 checks due to budget balances due to high oil prices

REGINA — Premier Scott Moe has said his Saskatchewan Party government will distribute $500 checks to all residents 18 and older starting this fall.

In a Twitter post on Monday, Moe says residents should take advantage when resource prices are high.

He also announced that higher than expected oil prices led to a balanced budget.

Finance Minister Donna Harpauer predicted a deficit of nearly $500 million for the year when she tabled the 2022-23 budget in March.

But, the budget was based on lower natural resources than they were throughout the first part of the year.

Moe says Harpauer is due to deliver its first-quarter financial update on Tuesday, which will detail how much money the province earned in natural resources at the start of the year.

Since March, the NDP opposition in Saskatchewan has called on the government to provide financial assistance to residents as they deal with inflation and the rising cost of living.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on August 22, 2022.

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