| President's Views |
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| TAUSEEF SHEIKH |
 New directions
ICCC welcomes the new government, and urges an inclusive approach to more strategic ties with India
Hon. Justin Trudeau with his family after his election victory The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) offers sincere congratulations to the Right Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, and all the candidates who have been elected to Canada’s House of Commons following the 44th federal elections, results of which were declared on 20 September 2021.
The new Liberal government will have to focus on the pandemic. Canada is doing good on tackling the pandemic in terms of the percentage of population that is already double vaccinated. However, the economic impact of the pandemic is going to remain an integral part of the Canadian economy for a long time.
As a representative of small businesses, especially racialized small businesses, the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce is urging the new government to continue with the assistance that it has provided since the pandemic began in 2020. Such help will sustain small businesses for a period that the economy will require to return to its pre-pandemic levels and turn to growth.
The new government has the onerous task of managing the deficit that has spiralled uncontrollably, while sustaining the economy during the pandemic. But Canada is not alone in facing such an eventuality. This is a global phenomenon, where all responsible governments have raked up humongous deficits. It will take patience, the right policies, and collective efforts to ensure that the global economy will emerge out of this economic quagmire.
For now, the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce urges the new government to work in close cooperation with all the political parties to ensure that Canada and Canadians benefit equally. This cooperation is necessary because no political party has received the support from the Canadian people to form a proper majority government.
Coinciding with the results was the decision by the Canadian government to lift the five-month-old travel restrictions on India. The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce lauds the Canadian government for taking this decision. It was long overdue.
As a representative of Indo-Canadian business owners, and the only Canada-based bilateral Chamber of Commerce fostering bilateral trade and investments between Canada and India, the ICCC is keen that Canada and India take their relationship to a higher trajectory. Bilateral relations should be a nonpartisan matter, not influenced by political ideology or expediency. It is time for Canada and India to acknowledge the geopolitical and economic compulsions and strategize their relationship based on the new reality.
The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce will continue to work in close cooperation with the new federal government to foster a more realistic understanding between the two countries.
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