The president of the Portage la Prairie and District Chamber of Commerce is reacting positively to the increase of minimum wage in Manitoba.

The government announced back in March that it would be raised thirty cents to $11.65 per hour on October 1st.

Guy Moffat says there are pros and cons to consider.

"It's always a double-edged sword when we talk about minimum wage," says Moffat. "On the one hand, it's really, really good for the Manitoba economy. Before this increase, we were the second lowest in the entire nation, so we have some room to make up, as far as getting our minimum wage in the median of what is being paid across the country."

He says there are some business owners who will be affected.

"As far as getting more money into the pockets of consumers, and more money in our local economy, it's really great news," says Moffat. "The double-edged sword piece of it is, that means an extra burden for our small to medium business enterprise. So, those folks feel a little bit more of the pinch."

Moffat notes the next increase will not be a surprise to anyone.

"The good news though, is that it is a known. It has been legislated that the minimum wage is going to go up by the cost of living every October 1st. That allows our small businesses to prepare for this increase that they're going to have," says Moffat. "The majority of the small business owners in our city don't pay minimum wage anyway. They're above the minimum wage level."