Parliamentary Committee Notes: Funding Increases for the CBSA

Date: February 24, 2022
Classification: Unclassified
Branch / Agency: FCMB / CBSA

Response:

• The CBSA is requesting a total of $2,344.1 million in the Main Estimates, 2022-23. This represents a $294.6 million (or 14.4%) increase over the previous year’s Main Estimates.
• With this funding, the CBSA will provide integrated border services that support national security priorities and facilitate the flow of people and goods across the border.
• Increases in funding are primarily attributable to:
  • A $98 million increase compared to the Main Estimates, 2021-22 for compensation adjustments as a result of salary increases generated by the renewal of collective agreements for the Computer Systems (CS) and Border Services (FB) groups.
• Further, $95 million is requested for program integrity funding to support Agency operations in 2021-22 and beyond. Funding for 2021-22 is being requested through the Supplementary Estimates (C), 2021-22.
  • Overall, program integrity funding will amount to $380 million over 4 years (2021-22 to 2024-25), with $95 million ongoing starting in 2025-26.
  • This funding will
    • provide a sustainable funding base;
    • eliminate some key financial pressures going forward;
    • support the cost of existing frontline officers; and
    • support increases related to certain unfunded personnel costs stemming from the implementation of new collective agreements, the Shared Services Canada (SSC) fiscal dividend, and incremental costs for guard contracts.
• $60.2 million is also requested to have funding for various initiatives reprofiled to future years. Of note, this includes: 
  • A $38.3 million increase for the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management Project (CARM) due to scheduling delays and to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • A $11.5 million increase for the Marine Container Examination Facilities Project (MCEF) due to delays in the procurement of the Fixed Large Scale Imaging equipment.
• $35.2 million is requested for funding to modernize Canada’s border infrastructure through the Land Border Crossing Project (LBCP).
  • The funding will be used to support the planning project phase for three full-service ports of entry (POEs) (St-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Pacific Highway, St-Armand) and to support the planning and execution project phases for the remaining 20 smaller POEs that are being replaced.
  • In total, the LBCP will replace 24 land border POEs across Canada that are in poor physical and functional condition. One has already been replaced.
• There is also a $25.7M increase in funding for the Gordie Howe International Bridge Project, to ensure that sufficient resources and equipment are in place to support national security and public safety priorities, once the Canadian port of entry is open. 
• And finally, there is a $10.5M increase in funding for 2021-23 Immigration Levels Plans, which is commensurate to the incremental increase in permanent resident admissions, beyond the volume approved in the 2021-23 Immigration Levels Plan.

Background:

The total funding anticipated through the Main Estimates, 2022-23 is $2,344.1M ($2,131.7M in voted appropriations and $212.4M in statutory appropriations). With the funding requested in these Main Estimates, the CBSA will provide integrated border services that support national security priorities and facilitate the flow of people and goods across the border.

Overall, the CBSA’s total authorities (voted and statutory) for 2022-23 have a net increase of $294.6M (or 14.4%) from the previous year’s Main Estimates.

The CBSA’s net increase of $294.6M represents an increase of $206.2M in Vote 1 – Operating Expenditures, an increase of $66.6M in Vote 5 - Capital Expenditures and an increase of $21.8M in Statutory Expenditures (EBP).

The main factors contributing to the changes in funding levels include (but are not limited to):

Increases:

• $107.5M for compensation adjustments;
• $95.0M in funding for Program Integrity;
• $60.2M in reprofiled funding for various initiatives to future fiscal years;
• $35.2M in funding for Land Border Crossing Project;
• $21.8M in incremental funding for the statutory employee benefit plan;
• $20.7M in funding for Gordie Howe International Bridge Project; and
• $10.5M in funding for 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plans.

Decreases:

• $14.0M reduction towards further centralization of government-wide Information

Technology Operations;

• $8.9M reduction in funding for National Immigration Detention Framework;
• $8.4M reduction related to the sunsetting of cannabis;
• $8.3M reduction in sunsetting Postal Modernization Initiative;
• $6.6M reduction for Budget 2021 travel allotments; and
• $5.7M reduction for Passenger Protect Program.

Contacts:

Approved by: Andrew Francis, A/Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Management Branch
Approved by: Scott Millar, Vice-President, Strategic Policy Branch

Financials Approval: Andrew Francis, A/Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Management Branch

Date modified:

2023-05-11