Canada's Saskatchewan forecasts budget deficit of C$2.4 billion in fiscal year 2020-21

The western Canadian province of Saskatchewan is forecasting a C$2.4 billion ($1.77 billion) budget deficit in 2020-21 as it grapples with shocks from the coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices.

"This is a pandemic deficit, not a structural deficit," Saskatchewan Finance Minister Donna Harpauer told reporters at a news conference. The province, she added, had been on track to present a balanced budget before the pandemic hit.