A new report by Dr. Jack Mintz, an economist with the University of Calgary, will provide an objective perspective on how the HST will boost Prince Edward Island’s economy, says Minister of Finance, Energy and Municipal Affairs, Wes Sheridan.

“I have a great deal of respect for Dr. Mintz’s work,” said Minister Sheridan. “He is highly regarded in his field both here in Canada and internationally, and I am very interested to hear more from him about our decision to implement the HST in Prince Edward Island.”

Dr. Mintz will be presenting his report: A Profound Tax Reform: The Impact of Sales Tax Harmonization on Prince Edward Island’s Competitiveness, at the Delta Prince Edward Hotel during a Charlottetown Chamber of Commerce event, sponsored by Innovation PEI tomorrow afternoon.

The report explores the impact of the HST on the marginal effective tax rate for large and small businesses in Prince Edward Island and assesses the impact of the HST on investment decisions and labour incomes. The report will be available on the HST website tomorrow at www.peihst.ca/links.

Dr. Jack Mintz, Biography:

Dr. Mintz is the Director for the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary and was appointed the Palmer Chair in Public Policy at the University of Calgary in January 2008. He is widely published in the field of public economics and was touted in a 2004 UK magazine publication as one of the world’s most influential tax experts.

He serves as an Associate Editor of International Tax and Public Finance and the Canadian Tax Journal, and is a research fellow of CESifo, Munich, Germany, and the Centre for Business Taxation Institute, Oxford University. He is a regular contributor to the National Post and has frequently published articles in other print media.