Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good evening.
I'm pleased that Joyce Reynolds and I will be speaking to you today on behalf of a Canadian industry that amounts to $80 billion.
The restaurant industry, which includes 1.2 million employees, is the fourth largest private employer in the country. Each million invested in our industry generates about 27 jobs. One out of five Canadians aged 15 to 24 works in a restaurant. The restaurant industry, which amounts to 95,000 businesses and 18 million clients a day, maintains personal and direct contact and a special daily connection with Canadians. More than two-thirds of Canada's restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. These restaurants are found across the country, both in major centres and remote regions. However, their overall profit margin is only 4.3%.
We're asking the government to help the industry generate more revenue, lower costs and improve its profitability. Our goal is to continue to be an economic driver and an industry that creates jobs. Our recommendations concern these three areas.
We're requesting funding for a culinary tourism strategy, a reduction in interprovincial trade barriers related to alcohol, a cap on credit card fees, a repeal of the escalator excise tax on alcohol implemented in the recent budget, and, lastly, an overall tax reduction for small- and medium-sized businesses.
Our brief also informs you about our budget positions regarding the restrictions in marketing to young people. We believe these restrictions will harm sales to all industry clients and will have negative consequences for community and charitable activities.