Industry committee  I'm not, according to the numbers we have. As I said, the financial situation of businesses has really improved over the last 12 months.

Industry committee  I'm not sure I understood your question. Are you talking about the decision to—

Industry committee  Here again, I'll have to provide you with that information later.

Industry committee  The BDC was not involved in the project, and so I don't have data about repayment. However, we do a lot of studies on business financing, and they show that the loans granted by the federal government were enormous help for businesses to get through the tough time, particularly in 2020.

Industry committee  We have various programs to make sure we are responding properly to the demand from various entrepreneur clienteles. In terms of scoring, each business is evaluated based on the risk associated with its investment project. For example, we have a program to finance women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs from minority groups.

Industry committee  I don't have the answer. We could provide you with that information later.

Industry committee  I don't have the figures with me, but I can tell you there is not much difference between the various clienteles. We also have to understand that the BDC is a lending organization that also offers advisory services. From experience, I can say that when both advisory services and financing are offered, businesses have more success.

Industry committee  We really focus on technology adoption. According to our research, one of the best strategies that businesses can take in this difficult period of time of finding people is to invest in technology and automation. We looked at the 1,500 companies across the country and at the different strategies they have been using to face the shortage of labour.

Industry committee  We granted a large volume of loans in 2020 and 2021 to help businesses get through the tough time, particularly in 2020. Private financing fell in Canada, but public financing rose, and the BDC was part of that solution.

Industry committee  I don't have the total proportion, but the percentage of businesses that had trouble is very low. In spite of the tough time in 2020, there was a good economic recovery in 2021 and that enabled businesses to repay their loans. In terms of our portfolio, I don't have the exact figure, but the situation is very good in terms of repayment.

Industry committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you for the opportunity to be here. The BDC doesn't need a lengthy introduction, with its 75 years of experience and the heightened visibility it has enjoyed since the start of the pandemic. However, I would like to note that the BDC is the only bank dedicated exclusively to entrepreneurs.

Human Resources committee  Maybe I can try to answer. The labour shortage is really in every sector of the economy, and every type of professional work or type of worker. As an example, in Canada, one of the biggest issues in terms of the shortage of labour is people who work in technology. Technology is booming.

Human Resources committee  I think there are two things. First of all, they need to understand how automation can help them. Often when we do conferences with our clients, we give them examples of businesses that have done it and the return on the investment. Our study is very clear. Businesses that invest in automation perform better and have a higher growth of profit and revenue.

Human Resources committee  First of all, it's because they are growing. Also, it's because they market themselves as.... It's especially the new generation. They are looking for businesses that are up to date in terms of technology. I remember a conference I was giving. There was a question to one of our clients.

Human Resources committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm going to make this statement. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today. There is no need to go into detail about the Business Development Bank of Canada, or BDC, which has 75 years of experience and has gained increased visibility since the start of the pandemic.