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The new B.C. NDP government will raise the minimum wage by 50 cents an hour in September, and move to a $15-an-hour rate by 2021 — a long-sought move by labour and anti-poverty groups but one met with wary concern in the business sector.

On Sept. 15, the minimum wage will increase to $11.35 an hour, a commitment from the previous Liberal government the NDP will implement. The government will also increase liquor servers’ wages by 50 cents to $10.10 an hour.

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Minister of Labour Harry Bains said on Tuesday that the hike this fall is just a “stepping-stone”.

“Raising the minimum wage is only one way the new government will make life more affordable for British Columbians, but it’s an important start,” he said.

Bains said the government listened to business owners and recognized the need for a gradual strategy for increasing wages to minimize the impact on businesses.

“It’s predictable. It’s incremental. (Business owners) can look at their structure and costs ahead of time knowing full well what their costs will be,” he said.