MONTREAL -- The Legault government will present its next budget for Quebec on March 10, and it promises to put its focus on the environment.

Finance Minister Eric Girard will table the 2020-2021 budget on that date; Christian Dube, the minister responsible for government administration and president of the Treasury Board of Quebec, will on that same day present the government's expenditures for that fiscal year.

"We want to deliver on our promises to improve services in health care, education and improve the economy for the long term. We want to close the wealth gap with Canada, with Ontario and this year, there will be a strong emphasis on the environment," said Girard at the National Assembly on Thursday.

"We want to deliver on our promises to improve services in health care, education and improve the economy for the long term. We want to close the wealth gap with Canada, with Ontario and this year, there will be a strong emphasis on the environment," said Girard, saying the goal is to give Environment Minister Benoit Charette the tools to deliver on "very ambitious targets" to reduce greenhouse gases by 37.5 per cent.

The budget will focus on healthcare, education, the economy, support for citizens and the environment, added that he wasn't prepared to announce any tax cuts.

"We've already returned to Quebecers very substantial amounts," he said.

Girard said the 2019 economic year had been excellent for Quebec and that 2020 was promising until the recent appearance of the coronavirus in China, noting the importance of production stoppages in China, which accounts for 20 per cent of the world economy.

"Everybody was in the process of revising upwards their 2020 forecast when the virus hit," said Girard. "It will have impact in the first quarter for the world economy, it's guaranteed. If it's temporary, we're going to gain back what we've lost in the second or third quarter. The longer the situation lasts, the more permanent the difficulties it's going to have for the whole world economy."

The Quebec government also noted Thursday that Quebecers can take part in pre-budget consultations online until Feb. 14.

With files from The Canadian Press.