The BC Critic for jobs, trades, and technology says B.C. businesses won’t be able to stay competitive thanks to new government taxes.

Greg Kyllo, the MLA for Shuswap says some of the taxes are significant.

“The Employer Health Tax for one, it’s having a significant impact on businesses,” he said. “A lot of businesses, unfortunately, I don’t think are wholly aware of the significance of the impact.”

“They’re going be getting their tax bills in the mail towards the end of January, and I think that’s when the rubber is really going to hit the road.”

He says manufacturing companies specifically those involved with a significant amount of export, will likely feel the pinch the most.

“Their competitiveness is actually eroding,” Kyllo said. “Our single largest trading partner the United States, they’re actually providing new tax reductions to actually increase their competitive companies.”

Another point of concern he noted, was the slight increase in the unemployment rate from 4.1 to 4.4 per cent in November.

B.C. however, still has the lowest unemployment rate in Canada.