Remigration scheme loopholes to be tightened

Aug 05, 2016 News

Cabinet considered proposals submitted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, for changes in administration and regulation of the remigration scheme.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon

This was disclosed by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon yesterday at the Post-Cabinet Press Briefing held at the Ministry of Presidency in Georgetown.
“After due consideration, Cabinet approved draft regulations and amendment to the Customs Act with regard to the following issues: one, the transfer of the administration of the remigration scheme from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Ministry of Citizenship; two, the redrafting of the definition of ‘settler’ in the Customs Act to allow the Ministry of Citizenship to determine both settler status and Remigrant status; and to provide tax concessions for students who spend at least four years abroad as well as returning foreign service officers who spent time abroad on official duty.
The Minister stated that it is expected that these changes in the regulation and administration of the remigration scheme will result in enhanced oversight and more efficient management of the scheme.
Responding to queries about the specific changes that will be made since there are reports of persons returning, grabbing concessions and subsequently leaving, Harmon said that the changes are to ensure better oversight of the laws.
He added that the idea is to ensure two things: to serve as a “one-stop” shop so that persons do not ‘run here and there and all over the place’ but rather to have a better understanding of what they are entitled to, and secondly, to clarify who the persons are that are entitled to benefits and to ensure that they are within the realms of the law.
“So that is really what it is all about, and there was a very thorough paper that was presented by the Vice President on the matter, having consulted with several persons, and these are the recommendations that have come out,” Harmon asserted.
Asked if there would be any clause in the Customs Act which would allow for penalty revocation of certain concessions should persons persist in doing what they were doing in the past, Harmon reiterated that the law has always been there, and what has happened in the past – in his view, is that officials in some cases, deliberately misinterpreted the provisions; the provisions beyond what was ‘contemplated’ in the law.
“So it is really allowing for greater oversight of the process and ensures that the laws are upheld,” Harmon said.