REGINA — The Opposition NDP is calling on the Saskatchewan Party government to scrap a so-called snack tax they say is being applied to more than just junk food.

NDP Leader Carla Beck says the provincial sales tax is being applied to various grocery items, such as packaged salads, rotisserie chickens and granola bars, at a time when people are struggling to afford groceries.

She says these items aren’t junk food and are often used to pack school lunches or make quick family dinners.

The Saskatchewan Party government introduced a sales tax on snacks and some ready-to-go meals in 2017 as part of efforts to trim a $1.2-billion deficit.

The province is now in better financial shape, expecting to post a $1-billion surplus this fiscal year.

Beck says the surplus allows the government to end the sales tax on these food items.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2023.

The Canadian Press