Guyana to cut work permits for foreigners

Guyana will clamp down on the number of work permits granted to foreigners to spare more job opportunities for locals, reports reaching here said Tuesday.

The previous administration had brought in too many foreigners for jobs that could have been filled by local workers, Winston Felix, Guyana's minister of citizenship and immigration told the National Assembly on Monday, saying the majority of work permits were granted to Brazilians.

While the current administration supports foreign investment, this policy will not be carried out at the expense of Guyanese, he stressed.

"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," Felix said.

He pledged that the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration will ensure that Guyanese have a level playing field in terms of job opportunities. Endi