REGINA – Saskatchewan Culture Minister Kevin Doherty is defending the province’s decision to cut the Film Employment Tax Credit amid new criticism.
Doherty says the funding model was not sustainable because it cost taxpayers money.
The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce says the province kicked the film industry out at the knees when it unceremoniously cut the credit in March.
The chamber and Sask Film released a study that says the credit had a net cost of 1.3 million dollars to the province.
But the study also says those film projects generated about 44.5 million dollars in economic spinoffs.
Doherty says there could be economic activity with any tax credit that gives what he calls “preferential treatment.”
He also disputes the chamber’s numbers and says the cost to taxpayers is actually higher.
But he could not immediately provide a figure to back up his point.
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