SITE OFFERS ONE-STOP SHOPPING FOR FINANCE PUBLICATIONS AND FORMS

It's all about convenience -- with the click of a mouse people can now access all Department of Finance publications and forms on-line.

Visitors to the new Publications Centre on the main Government of Saskatchewan website can now download all Finance e-forms and publications, or request a hard copy, all on-line.

"The Internet is one of the most widely used communication tools in this day and age," Finance Minister Harry Van Mulligen said. "For example, on Budget Day, March 31st, the Finance website received close to a million hits. The Internet provides a convenient way for people here in Saskatchewan and all over the world to access our department's information. That's why we made it a priority to have all of our publications and forms available on the central government publications website."

Finance publications on the site include budget documents, interim financial reports, The Public Accounts, and tax bulletins. There is also a variety of forms, including the PST return form for businesses and the Saskatchewan Electronic Tax Service or SETS forms. SETS is a safe, secure service for businesses to file and pay provincial tax over the Internet. SETS also enables farmers to apply for fuel tax rebates on-line. Since SETS was implemented in 2001, businesses have filed about 21,000 tax returns on-line, representing close to $300 million in taxes.

"The government publications site offers one-stop shopping for Finance publications and forms," Van Mulligen said. "We expect this to be a very popular feature."

The Finance section of the Publications Centre is located at www.publications.gov.sk.ca/finance. It can also be accessed through the Publications Centre link under Service Centre on the main Government of Saskatchewan webpage at www.gov.sk.ca/main.html.

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For More Information, Contact:

Debbie Clark Finance Regina Phone: (306) 787-6605