Good day ladies and gentlemen, this is IRC news, I am Joy Stephen, a certified Canadian Immigration practitioner, and I bring to you this Provincial News Bulletin from the province of Prince Edward Island. This recording originates from the Polinsys studios in Cambridge, Ontario.

With revenues forecasted at $3.15 billion and planned spending of $3.23 billion, the province is expecting a deficit of approximately $85 million. The 2024-2025 budget focuses on improving healthcare, building housing and helping with the cost of living while supporting young and old Island residents, their families, and the places they live, learn and work.
Highlights of the new investments in this budget include:

Improving Your Healthcare

$10.5 million to add more patient medical homes
$9.9 million to support the implementation of a medical school
$7.1 million to add more doctors and more residency seats
$6.2 million to improve our recruitment of healthcare professionals
$4.9 million to provide more supports for seniors
$4.5 million to move towards wage parity for long-term care
$3.7 million to enhance access to care
$3 million to deliver mental health services
$2.4 million to integrate associate physicians and physician assistants
$2.2 million to train and upskill more RCWs, LPNs, paramedics and RNs
Building Together

$10 million to grow and maintain our inventory of affordable units
$6.9 million to expand shelter spaces and improve supports for vulnerable Islanders
$6.7 million for tax rebates for builders
$1.6 million to support social housing units
$200,000 to support creation of a land use plan
Helping with Everyday Costs

$14.6 million for tax system changes
$7.3 million for incentives to install heat pumps, hot water heaters and insulation
$3.1 million to improve supports for Social Assistance and AccessAbility Support clients
$1.1 million to introduce a PEI Children's Benefit
$1 million to keep public transit fares affordable and add transit routes
$380,000 to expand the seniors independence initiative
Learning and Growing

$7 million to add more front-line staff to the education system
$4.3 million to grow childcare supports and spaces
$1 million to support school food programs
$940,000 to enhance the George Coles Bursary
$708,000 to implement a vision care program for children
Safer Communities and Strengthening Industries

$2.4 million to implement the Gender-based Violence Action Plan
$2 million to grow the bioscience sector
$1 million to fund operating costs of the EV charging network
$1 million to strengthen agriculture
$773,000 to improve impaired driving enforcement
$500,000 to begin development of a coastal management plan
$500,000 to expand the tourism season
$205,000 to support diversity and inclusion
$150,000 to address workforce challenges of municipal police services

For Health Care and Social Services personnel exploring the possibility of immigrating to PEI, this announcement carries significant weight. It offers valuable insights into the prevailing landscape of their sector, empowering Health Care and Social Services personnel to tailor their immigration plans in accordance with the evolving needs of the industry. 

You can always access past news from the Province of Prince Edward Island by visiting this link: https://myar.me/tag/pe/.

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