TORONTO – Five things to watch this week in Canadian business:
Tax evasion: Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier is slated to make an announcement Monday in Ottawa on new initiatives to combat tax avoidance and tax evasion in the wake of last week’s Panama Papers data leak on offshore banking activity.
CRTC: The country’s telecommunications watchdog kicks off a second round of public hearings on Internet and telecom services on Monday in Gatineau, Que. The CRTC is also unveiling a map that gives a general view of Internet service availability across the country.
Earnings: Several companies report earnings this week, including DavidsTea on Tuesday, Cogeco and Corus Entertainment on Wednesday and Shaw Communications on Thursday.
CAPP: The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers hosts an investment symposium on Tuesday in Toronto featuring speakers from Irving Oil and Kinder Morgan Canada among others. The association said last week that Canada’s oil and gas industry is on track for its biggest two-year decline in capital spending ever.
Interest rates: The Bank of Canada make its interest rate announcement and releases its fiscal outlook on Wednesday in Ottawa. Even though the Canadian economy is beginning to show signs of life, including last week’s unexpectedly robust jobs numbers, the bank is expected to keep its benchmark rate at 0.5 per cent.