Madam Speaker, the government's investment in Canadian businesses via the CEWS means that hundreds of thousands of Canadian businesses and millions of employees will be able to keep their staff on the payroll and their doors open.
As I previously stated, the CRA is committed to maintaining a balance between making emergency funds accessible to businesses that urgently need the support while preserving the fairness and integrity of our tax system and administering the laws as adopted by Parliament.
To date, almost $50 billion has been paid to 1.6 million claimants who have applied for the CEWS. The CRA recognizes the economic challenges that have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact that the audit process can have on businesses. For this reason, the CRA has proceeded carefully in order to protect both businesses and the broader economy, which remains vulnerable due to the pandemic.
The CRA wants to reassure business owners across Canada that it will be as flexible as possible with deadlines for information requests given the hardships of the ongoing pandemic, in line with our people first approach—