The Saskatchewan Government is hoping to stimulate the economy through the COVID-19 pandemic by announcing $2 billion in additional infrastructure funding over two years.

This is above the $5.5 billion that has already been announced during the province’s spending estimates.

The funding will include $300 million for highway projects, $200 for health infrastructure, and $135 million education infrastructure.

About $1.37 billion is expected to fund large infrastructure projects.

Gordon Wyant, the minister responsible for SaskBuilds, outlined their role in the stimulus package.

“SaskBuilds’ priority in this stimulus plan is to ensure that local jobs are preserved or created and that local sectors are supported,” Wyant said.

“That work will be led by Priority Saskatchewan, who has already achieved a great deal of success in this area. It is something we are very proud of the accomplishments they’ve had.”

The province is expecting the new investments will help support about 10,000 jobs in the province.

Premier Scott Moe highlighted that this package will help get people back to work.

“Governments at all levels have been paying businesses to stay closed and I understand why we had to do that and it was the right thing to do,” Moe said.

“But moving forward as a society we need to get back to paying people to go to work. We need to invest in businesses to operate and to build.”