Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
May 16, 2012 News
Brazilians are being forced to pay thousands of dollars in bribes for work
permits with government yesterday admitting that it is probing several reports of bribe-taking.
Amidst high gold prices, the country’s interior has seen a rush by non-nationals, and mainly Brazilians, willing to risk all for “a piece of the action”.
However, it has come with constant complaints that persons were forcing the foreigners to pay up to $200,000 (US$1,000) for permits.
The middlemen or agents, as they are called, are acting in complicity with government officials, reportedly from the Ministry of Home Affairs and other state agencies. The Home Affairs Ministry is tasked with handling the processing of the permits.
Questioned yesterday about the reports, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, admitted that his ministry has been receiving complaints about the “abuse” and “harassment”. He did not immediately name the Home Affairs Ministry.
“No apologies for saying that. Why is it that someone who legitimately is entitled to a work permit must be greasing scores of hands? You will be surprised at how much grease is passing.”
According to the Minister, a simple process as getting a stamp from a “certain” department could cost $200,000 when the entire fee would be around $5,000.
“It is unfair and unjust,” the Minister told reporters.
With increased monitoring and crackdown on mining camps that started recently, the rush has been on by the Brazilians miners to toe the line.
According to Persaud, whose newly created ministry has been tasked with overseeing the mining and forestry, and oil and gas sectors among others, once foreigners satisfy the requirements, they are entitled to work permits, whether they are Brazilians, Chinese or Africans.
There have been several reports of work permit applications being deliberately delayed so that the foreigners would be forced to pay more to be processed.
Government yesterday said that there could be between 5,000 to 15,000 Brazilians working in the interior. (Leonard Gildarie)
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