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Decentralized Democracy

Minister of Small Business

Hon. Rechie Valdez

  • Member of Parliament
  • Minister of Small Business
  • Liberal
  • Mississauga—Streetsville
  • Ontario
  • Voting Attendance: 66%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $101,328.92

  • Government Page
Context: House Hansard - 275 - Feb/5/24
Hon. Rechie Valdez (Minister of Small Business, Lib.)
  • Feb/5/24 2:38:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the purpose of the Canada emergency business account, or CEBA, was to help keep businesses afloat during the pandemic and give them some room to recover. Nearly 80% of small businesses have paid back the CEBA loan and were able to take advantage of the refundable portion of the loan. We are also reducing credit card transaction fees by up to a quarter to help small businesses keep more money in their pockets.
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Context: House Hansard - 270 - Jan/29/24
Hon. Rechie Valdez (Minister of Small Business, Lib.)
  • Jan/29/24 2:58:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that small businesses are still going through a tough time. They still have nearly three years to pay back their CEBA loan. We extended the term loan repayment deadline to ensure that small businesses can focus on their post-pandemic recovery. We are also cutting taxes for growing small businesses and lowering credit card fees up to a quarter.
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Context: House Hansard - 252 - Nov/21/23
Hon. Rechie Valdez (Minister of Small Business, Lib.)
  • Nov/21/23 2:54:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know times were tough and are still tough for small businesses. If they are unable to repay by January 18, they still have a full three years to repay their CEBA loan. We extended the term loan repayment deadline to make sure that small businesses are able to focus on navigating pandemic recovery. We are also cutting taxes for growing small businesses and lowering credit card fees by up to a quarter. We will always be there for small businesses. That will never change.
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Context: House Hansard - 248 - Nov/7/23
Hon. Rechie Valdez (Minister of Small Business, Lib.)
  • Nov/7/23 3:03:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform my hon. colleague that nearly 900,000 small businesses benefited from the CEBA. That is why we recently announced a one-year extension on the term loan repayment deadline, more flexibility on refinancing and more time to access loan forgiveness. We also increased the Canada child benefit and implemented $10-a-day child care, thus enabling more women than ever to enter the workforce.
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Context: House Hansard - 242 - Oct/30/23
Hon. Rechie Valdez (Minister of Small Business, Lib.)
  • Oct/30/23 2:43:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we will continue to be there for small businesses. We extended the deadline for small businesses from last year to this year. Since they asked for more assistance, we are giving them more refinancing flexibility. We are giving them more time to access the loan forgiveness and a one-year extension of the CEBA loan repayment deadline.
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Context: House Hansard - 242 - Oct/30/23
Hon. Rechie Valdez (Minister of Small Business, Lib.)
  • Oct/30/23 2:41:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, nearly 900,000 small businesses had to shut down during the pandemic. What did we do? We created the Canada emergency business account, or CEBA, to help small businesses keep their doors open. What are we doing? We are providing additional flexibility so that businesses can repay their CEBA loans. What will our government continue to do? We will continue to listen to and support small businesses across the country.
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Context: House Hansard - 221 - Sep/20/23
Hon. Rechie Valdez (Minister of Small Business, Lib.)
  • Sep/20/23 3:12:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I was also a small business owner during the pandemic, and I really understand the struggles many continue to face. That is why we are offering additional flexibilities for small businesses to repay their CEBA loans, which are both balanced and fiscally responsible. This includes a full one-year extension on the repayment deadline, more flexibility on refinancing and more time to access the loan forgiveness. We will keep listening to small businesses across the country, and that includes all Canadians.
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