Expeditious, convenient process being developed to facilitate remigrants

WITH renewed and increased interest in the local economy, the new Government, through the resuscitated ‘remigrant scheme,’ has started to develop a system to make re-migration easier and to reduce the level of uncertainty surrounding the process of returning to Guyana.

Prior to August 2, 2020, issues and processes regarding re-migration were handled by a department within the former Ministry of the Presidency. Those responsibilities have since been transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

After inheriting those responsibilities, the ministry had identified gaps which needed to be closed and uncertainties which needed to be clarified, said Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Robert Persaud, during an interview at his South Road office, on Thursday.
“We are looking at ways to improve our services and make it more convenient and expeditious for persons who want to migrate to Guyana,” said Persaud, adding that one of the main concerns was persons being unclear about how to access the remigrant scheme.

The Remigrant Scheme of the Government of Guyana is administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in conjunction with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

In a move to improve access to and increase information about this scheme, the ministry has launched a re-migration brochure, which is now available on the ministry’s website and at all of Guyana’s missions and embassies abroad. The brochure includes basic information on how to migrate to Guyana, among other things.
Persaud said the ministry is also looking at developing an online portal to afford persons the opportunity to apply for re-migration, without having to physically fill out an application.
“That is not only saving time, but making it more convenient through an online application which is in accordance with the law,” said the Foreign Secretary.
An anticipated increase in applications is expected, especially given the plethora of developmental projects which are in the pipeline.
“With the massive housing drive, efforts in developing the migration scheme, a construction boom and new opportunities in the oil and gas sector, I anticipate a heightened level of interest,” said Persaud.

ATTRACTIVE MIGRATION SCHEME
These developmental projects are supplemented by what the Foreign Secretary referred to as an “attractive migration scheme”. Although the scheme is being improved, there are attractive concessions which include importing a duty-free motor vehicle and bringing household to Guyana.

A new aspect of the scheme, which is being developed, will include concessions for skilled persons and university graduates who are interested in returning or coming to Guyana.
With a population of less than a million people, Guyana, which sits on the edge of South America, has been losing some 30,000 persons annually due to emigration, said the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which is based in Washington DC, in a recent report, following an analysis of the Guyanese diaspora.
Emigration is defined as the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere.

The CSIS report is a comprehensive analysis of the Guyanese diaspora and highlights some of the perennial challenges of brain drain and high emigration rate that Guyana faces. In general, the report, which was published in October 2020, initially addressed the factors influencing why Guyanese migrated post-independence.
Guyana’s socio-economic environment; the political climate, which the report deemed “unstable” and social unrest particularly influenced Guyanese educated elites to seek opportunities elsewhere.

With the advent of a “smooth and attractive process”, the Government will be looking to encourage persons to return home.
Persaud said everyone, who chooses to re-migrate, will have equal opportunities, as the ministry will be working closely with GRA to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of benefits.
“We have been able to develop greater synergies in how we can make it (re-migration) much easier… we want to give people some level of certainty as to when they would have qualified in terms of the process and to the point where they can go to the GRA and get the necessary exemptions,” said the Foreign Secretary.

Those are among some of the ‘kinks’ being worked out because there is already a lot of enthusiasm and interest in re-migrating to Guyana.
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has made re-migration a priority, so, through the renewed efforts, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will be looking to attract Guyanese living in the U.S., Canada, in the Caribbean and other parts of the world.