Work permits shouldn't be money making scheme - Hon Julian Fraser RA
Hon Fraser was speaking on March 24, 2016 during the Seventh Sitting of the First Session of the Third House of Assembly as the budget debates got underway.
The proposal to raise work permit fees was just one of a raft of measures that Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith spoke of during his budget speech in the House of Assembly on Monday February 8, 2016.
"I am not too sure, Madam Speaker, that raising the fees on work permits is the answer," Honourable Fraser said.
"If we are going to use work permits as a revenue generating scheme what that does Madam Speaker is that it encourages the influx of immigrant workers because the more we get the more money we make...It should not be a money making scheme."
He said work permits should be issued only on need...not the need for money but the need for skills and labour.
"It should not be an incentive for this country to want to import labour and if money becomes involved, Madam Speaker, that it becomes an incentive to want to import labour. I have a problem with that," he said.
Premier Smith had said the work permit structure would be changed so that the fees would be more in line to what is charged in other overseas territories.
He said the fees would be charged at various levels to reflect the level of income of the employee.
At a press conference on February 10, 2016, the Premier expounded on the proposal to raise fees for work permits.
"We spoke about the work permits, in our country there are work permits, here the highest value for work permits is $1,000 and it depends on the work you do, the employment level of remuneration. We are going to review that but review it in such a way that those who earn more, make more money, will pay more...those on the lower end will not be affected," he said.
He noted that some other Overseas Territories go as high as $7,000 or $13,000 for work permits in such categories. “So compare to us with a $1,000 maximum you see the vast difference..." he said.
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