2024-01-28 23:10:10
Businessman and restaurateur Peter Sergakis believes that Montreal businesses are victims of abusive taxes which are destroying this industry in the metropolis.
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“In a period like this where we are almost in recession, retailers are not operating for many reasons. We are going to see more businesses close and new ones will not come to Montreal,” he declared in an interview with TVA Nouvelles.
According to Mr. Sergakis, the City of Montreal has the bad habit of increasing taxes to compensate for increases in spending in other sectors.
“It’s easy for Montreal administrations which cannot manage the two columns of the budget, revenues and expenditures, to raise taxes. This is not the right way to do things,” maintains the businessman.
“Before this year’s increase, we were already 30% more expensive than any Canadian city,” he adds.
And Peter Sergakis predicts dark days for businesses if this trend is not reversed.
“We cannot overtax them, because they do not have the capacity to pay. This is what is currently happening in Montreal and we are in decline. We are not going in the right direction,” proclaims the restaurateur.
“The future is unfortunately not good for Montreal,” he adds.
In addition to deploring the current situation, Mr. Sergakis asks that the municipal administration give merchants a significant breath of fresh air.
“I have never seen so many vacant businesses. We need to give a big discount for five years if you want to move to Montreal to start your business. Maybe a 50% reduction on business taxes or something like that,” he suggests.
For someone who is also president of the Union of Bar Owners of Quebec, it is increasingly unthinkable to simply pass on the bill for municipal tax increases to customers.
“The consumer cannot afford to pay,” says Mr. Sergakis.
The latter has also seen a significant drop in attendance in its establishments due to inflation in recent years. Even its most loyal customers space out their visits.
“They ate out three times a week on average. There, they barely eat once because it is too expensive. We all suffer. Businesses are suffering, consumers no longer have the same pleasure of living as before, because they have to eat, they have to pay their rent… It’s made it very expensive,” he says. .
To see the full interview, watch the video above.
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