The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has received an Aa2 (stable) credit rating from Moody’s Investors Service.

The Aa2 rating is the third highest rating available from Moody’s, slightly lower than the Aa1 (negative), which was Moody’s previous rating for the GNWT. The rating was lowered to reflect that continued economic pressures and the unlikelihood of an economic rebound to pre-pandemic levels for at least 2 to 3 years will make mitigating the growth in debt more challenging.

The Northwest Territories (NWT) Liquor Enforcement division, administered through the Government of the Northwest Territories department of Finance,  has launched an online SafeServe Certification program to provide responsible service training to liquor licence holders.

Northwest Territories residents can now donate to the humanitarian effort in Ukraine through the recently-launched Red Cross portal.

Premier Caroline Cochrane delivered a statement in the Legislative Assembly on February 25 on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and committed the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) to match donations to the Red Cross from NWT residents up to $50,000.

The Northwest Territories Liquor and Cannabis Commission (NTLCC) has made the decision to remove products of Russian origin from its shelves in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

NTLCC is working with all NWT liquor stores to ensure that all Russian-made products are removed. Russian-made products will also no longer be available for purchase by NWT liquor licence and liquor permit holders.

Following the changes to Public Health Orders announced by the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) last week, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is revising its implementation of the GNWT Employee Vaccination Policy.

Today, the Premier’s Awards for Excellence winners were announced. Due to COVID-19 public health restrictions, no award ceremony was held this year. Instead, the recipients were notified by email and the physical awards are being mailed out.

The annual Premier’s Award for Excellence program recognizes the outstanding achievement of Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) employees or teams who continue to strive for excellence.

This year, honours were presented in two separate categories.

Today, Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek released the 2022-23 Budget, the third budget of the 19^th Legislative Assembly.

Total revenues of $2.3 billion are expected in 2022‑23 and total expenditures of $2.06 billion, which include spending for programs and services and infrastructure contributions. The 2022‑23 surplus is forecasted to be $131 million.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is announcing a new Remote Work Policy, allowing employees the opportunity to work at a location other than their official worksite.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has received an AA- credit rating from Fitch Ratings Inc. after being assessed for creditworthiness, debts and financial obligations. The Fitch AA- rating is a signal that the GNWT continues to manage its financial affairs in a responsible manner and gives the GNWT stronger scores for revenue stability, prudent fiscal management and debt.

Many GNWT employees returning from travel outside the Northwest Territories will be required to work from home for the first three days after returning to the NWT. This applies to the first three calendar days after their arrival, not just weekdays. If an employee is not scheduled to work within the first three days of their return, this will not apply to them. This is intended to help keep communities and GNWT worksites safe.