Guyana To Limit Work Permits For Foreigners To Protect Jobs for Locals

GEORGETOWN, Guyana– The Guyana Government of President David Granger recently announced a crack down on the number of work permits issued to foreigners for jobs that Guyanese can do.

This move has come as a response to Brazilians allegedly being brought into Guyana to take up key positions according to Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Winston Felix.

Minister Felix stated; “We don’t want a lopsided situation where our own people do not have access to our lands to do what other people are doing,” the minister insisted.

“We want the inflow of foreign money, but we also want our people to benefit from the inflows that come in. They should not be left to look on at others who come in to perform jobs they can perform.”

Of the 304 work permits issued so far for 2015 in Guyana, 236 have gone to Brazilians. Comparatively, in 2014, Brazilians got 694 of the 744 work permits issued. So too in 2012, of the 1,050 work permits issued, 991 went to Brazilians.

Minister Felix took shots at the previous government, in stating that they had no regard for Guyanese labour, bringing in foreigners at the expense of Guyanese workers.

“They built a Marriott with labour from abroad,” he said in reference to the Guyana Marriott Hotel which opened in April this year.