Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced that his newly sworn-in Cabinet will eliminate work permit fees for CARICOM nationals.
In his inaugural address on Wednesday, which was observed as OECS Day, Mr Browne said his campaign promise would be fulfilled.
“It was suggested that we were dangling a carrot before the Caribbean brothers and sisters when we promised we would eliminate worker permit fees for CARICOM nationals. Well, there’s no need for any sort of dangling this evening”.
“Nevertheless, I announce this evening, OECS Day, that effective 26th June, 2014, no work permit fees shall be collected from CARICOM nationals who are being offered, duly advertised, and processed employment opportunities here in Antigua and Barbuda,” Mr Browne said.
He emphasized that his Labour Party administration “will deliver and I say to you tonight, promise made, promise kept”.
The CARICOM member states are Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
Source-DVN
