Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The CRA welcomes the opportunity to appear before this committee once again, this time in consideration of supplementary estimates (B) for 2007-2008.
For the CRA, supplementary estimates (B) comprise a number of separate adjustments to the agency's spending authorities totalling $439.9 million. The largest single adjustment represents a forecasted net amount of $437 million, resulting from disbursements to the provinces under the Softwood Lumber Act.
Another significant funding increase identified in these estimates is an amount of $21.5 million relating to the CRA's assumption of responsibility for the corporate tax administration for Ontario.
These estimates are also reflecting $22.1 million in funding, which will be used to offset the new approvals identified in these estimates. This funding was previously approved for the offshore trusts and foreign entities initiative, for which the enacting legislation has been delayed and is not expected to be passed by Parliament this fiscal year.
Additional adjustments identified in these estimates are $3 million for payments made under the Energy Costs Assistance Measures Act and $550,000 for an advertising campaign to promote the availability of electronic tax services for businesses.
Lastly, I would like to identify that these estimates are reflecting a transfer of $100,000 to the CRA from Western Economic Diversification, for costs related to the support of the minister's regional office in Saskatchewan from April through August 2007, and an amount of $200,000 transferred from the CRA to the Public Service Human Resource Management Agency in support of the national managers' community initiative.
The total increase of the adjustments identified in these estimates is $439.9 million, which represents an increase of 11.4% in the authorities granted to date. With the inclusion of supplementary estimates (B), the agency's authorities will amount to $4.299 billion.
At this point, I'd be most happy to respond to any questions.