Quebec Premier François Legault announced on Monday that Investissement Québec will be getting more money, powers and a stronger team in order to support provincial businesses and increase their success on the local and international stage.
Legault hopes that revitalizing the organization, which works to favour investment in the province by local and international companies, will, in turn, speed up his goal of eliminating the wealth gap between Quebec and other Canadian provinces.
The premier said the GDP per capita in Quebec is about 16 per cent less than in Ontario, a gap he described as “huge.”
“We want to accelerate private investment,” Legault said. “We want Investissement Québec to be more aggressive.”
Legault went on to add that the average salary in Quebec is $49,000 per year, but he wants to see that number increase to $60,000 per year, or even $100,000.
The premier also took the opportunity to announce the organization’s new president of the administrative counsel, Jean St-Gelais, taking over from Monique Leroux.