Lorna Smith pledges to reduce work permit woes
Amid cries from local businesses and expatriates that work permits are not being processed in a timely manner, Minister for Financial Services, Labour & Trade Lorna Smith has promised that the nine-month processing period many are experiencing will be significantly reduced under her leadership.
“I am very conscious of this issue and it is all pervasive. I have met with the Labour Commissioner to discuss the matter and to make sure that the time is reduced significantly,” Smith explained. “One of the things we have to look at is using technology better and I am in touch with a person that has been recommended to assist us in doing so. But I can tell you that I am committed to making sure this is no longer the case.”
Smith pointed out that inadequate staffing is one of the main reasons the Labour Department continues to face problems with the processing of work permits. She said she is aware that many tourism businesses are suffering because of a lack of officers to process work permits within the Labour Department.
“I just met somebody who pointed out that on Virgin Gorda, there isn’t a senior officer in place and so at times — especially businesses in tourism, they have to wait for an officer to come over from Tortola to solve this problem,” Smith explained.
While Smith was promising to fix the work permit woes, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley added that he will give his full support to ensure the staffing issues at the Labour Department are fixed.
Work permits are very important to the private and public sectors as both government and private sector businesses rely on immigrant labour in the BVI. Official statistics show that expatriates make up some 70 per cent of the local labour force.
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If a decision (either a grant or a refusal) is not made within 14 days of an application being filed, then the application should be deemed to have been granted.
She also promises rainbows and cookies. Don’t care for photo ops and prepared speeches. She needs to get to work. Chop chop
Forcing a worker to leave the island while waiting for a new work permit is cruel and deprives a company which needs that person of their services for months, if they ever come back.
HER BIGSHOT FRIENDS AND HER BROTHERS??????
LOOK FILIPINOS COMING IN BY THE PLANE LOADS
It sounds like she running the VIP’s show now
The employer need to pay half ofrece all permit cost
It’s an archaic and racist policy of discrimination. But hey it’s the BVI
Nature’s dirty little secret
No business can survive without workers, and there are not enough BVIslanders to keep most BVI businesses going. For the sake of the economy, she needs to fix the huge inefficiencies in the approval of work permits. It would also be a really good idea to push more multi-year work permits for longer term residents to cut down on the annual bureaucracy.
I moved to the BVI in 87. It was slow then, and it’s slow now. That’s progress in the BVI.
Hope our new Labour Minister consider the children graduating from High Schools country wide when giving out labour permits this Summer. Why? Because our school leavers seem to be only good enough, in their own country, to ride schoolers or stay home and play games. Not an entry level job can be found even after sending out numerous letters and resumes. Even the College students should be offered part time work, but not happening.
I am aware that there is a token effort made to place locals who actually take the time to let Labour know that they are seeking work, but this should be solidified somehow as we are losing our young people who are being disenfranchised in their own home. And that they do not want to work is a myth. I know many young and no so young Virgin Islanders looking for work and being laid off while the permit holders are working. Who are we building this Country for? Time to take stock.
The reason Labour is snowed under is the refusal to grant residency on a timely basis. Its not good economics that 70% of the work force is on a permit. We need to sort out our demographics and set a policy
How about if someone puts in for a renewal we assume the employer wants that person for another year seeing as they have signed it. How can it take months to approve. Should be one desk that just stamps them and done!
She needs to reduce work permits period!
Reduce the work permit woes by reducing the the number of work permits… simple! Is too much ah dem now man!