The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade is questioning the B.C. government’s plan to expand the provincial sales tax to include a long list of professional services.

They have launched a campaign called Stop the Squeeze.

In the latest budget, the B.C. government said services like security and accounting will be subject to the seven per cent PST, starting on Oct. 1.

PST exemptions will also be removed from some goods and services such as clothing repair materials, services related to clothing and footwear, basic cable television and landline telephone services.

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade says the change will increase costs not just for those services but for all businesses, at a time when the B.C. economy is already on shaky ground.

“This is a time where British Columbia needs to be as competitive as possible,” Bridgette Anderson with the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade said.

“We’re embarking on major projects across British Columbia. We’re trying to be more competitive, to be resilient, to create more jobs. Yet, the government’s putting in this tax that is hindering businesses and their ability to grow.”

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has estimated the expanded PST will cost affected businesses $7,000 per employee per year.