ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC—The Grenada government earned more than two million dollars (One EC dollar = US$0.37 cent) from the issuance of work permits last year, Labour Commissioner Sparkle Grenade Courtney has said.
She said that while 890 permits had been issued to foreign nationals, the Department would introduce a new format for processing work permits in 2025.
“At the Department of Labour, we administer the work permit program, and for the past year, we have processed so far 890 work permits in varying sectors …such as construction, tourism and hospitality, the yachting sector, and professional services, at a value of over two million dollars,” she said.
“This is a revenue activity for the government of Grenada,” she said, noting that last year, the focus was also on the legislative processes and procedures that govern the work permit process to improve and streamline in 2025.
The Estimate of Revenue and Expenditure for 2024 shows that in 2023, the government earned EC$1,879,387 through work permits and is projected to earn EC$2,027,022 in 2024 and EC$2,151,065 in 2025.
Courtney said that in 2025, plans include digitalizing the work permit process to ensure it is quicker and more accessible and to comply with the cabinet’s policy of digitalizing government services.
The Labour Commissioner also disclosed that towards the end of last year, the Department commenced a series of consultations with key stakeholders to update them on the proposed changes and amendments to the work permit process.
“We serve the business community, we serve government ministries and departments, we serve the religious community, we serve the promoters, we serve a wide cross of the society, and therefore, to improve the process, we need to hear from our stakeholders, and we started a series of consultation with them bringing to them the process changes and amends to the Act and the process and seeking their feedback,” she said.
“We have already started to receive significant and important feedback that will inform a new and improved work permit process in 2025,” she said while explaining that the Department is conducting this process together with the Guyana-based Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, given the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) that allows for the free movement of goods, skills labor, and finances across the region.
“CARICOM will be introducing free movement, which will also affect the work permit process, and this means that some categories of persons in CARICOM will no longer be required to have work permits to seek employment in Grenada,” she said.
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