Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 24, 2022 News
– over 4000 persons approved for same period
By Zena Henry
Kaieteur News – More than 500 companies have requested work permits in an 18-month period from 2020 to this year. This is according to information provided to the National Assembly by the Home Affairs Ministry after the questions were posed by the Shadow Human Services Minister, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley.
The Home Affairs Ministry reported that from August 2020 to March of this year, 566 companies were said to have requested and became eligible for work permits during the period. Of those 65 are stores, 52 are supermarkets, 32 restaurants, seven security firms , six universities/schools, nine construction companies, seven embassies, three engineering companies, 17 hospitals/ pharmacies, nine churches and 29 trading companies.
The ministry also reported that from August 2020 to May of this year, over 4000 persons from 54 countries were granted permission to work in Guyana. It was explained that 9270 work permits were requested between the stated periods with 4847 being granted the document to work here. While the ministry did not specify the initial length of the work permit, it did state that businesses on request will be granted a two-year extension of their work permits.
The jobs those granted permits facilitated include teachers, doctors, engineers, contractors, pilots, nurse, field technician, materials engineer, foreman, crane supervisor, glazier, security guards, electrician, iron maker, safety director, site manager, chef, construction engineer, heavy equipment operator, building inspector, surveyor, pipe fitter and gardener.
The information reported to the Parliament provides a revealing story regarding foreigners employment interest as the number of permits requested represent a significant spike in permission to work here. The Guyana government has stated repeatedly the increased rate at which the country is growing based on the amount of business activity taking place. Much of the buzz is very much related to the lucrative oil and gas sector that continues to expand at an “unprecedented” pace.
One year before Guyana began oil production, the country had reported granting just over 1000 work permits within a five-year period. The question was at the time posed to then Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, when he reported that exactly 1200 work permits were issued within the five years. The then minister had stated that while there were no figures for the number of work permits issued between 2013 and 2015, in 2016, there were 697 approved work permits with the number dropping to 488 the following year and 28 being reported for 2018 at the time.
Compared to the 1200 work permits issued in five years, 4847 in 18 months represents the incredible increase of foreign input within the local work environment. Guyana’s Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud had stated last March that the country needs 100,000 additional workers to help the country develop. He was speaking to Guyanese based in Trinidad and Tobago and called on the Guyanese diaspora to consider returning home to build the country. He said that the country’s economy is growing at a fast pace and it needed both skilled and unskilled workers to fill jobs within the public and private sectors.
He said that the Guyana government has been trying to encourage members of the Diaspora to return by offering several incentives including tax concessions on personal effects such as vehicles and housing lots in Guyana. The minister had said also that the government was concerned with attracting Guyana’s diaspora before going ahead with plans to draw in non-nationals.
The government has, nonetheless, promised thousands of part time jobs to Guyanese as a means of cushioning economic hardships. During outreaches in several regions, potential workers were told that they would be paid $40,000 for 10 days of work. Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had said that the part time workers would be utilised around the region in government offices, libraries, daycares, among other agencies.
LISTEN HOW JAGDEO WILL MAKE ALL GUYANESE RICH!!!
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