Guyana will need imported labour like Dubai, but Govt will guard against foreign takeover – Jagdeo

Guyana is poised to reach a stage similar to Qatar or Dubai, where imported labour will become necessary due to rapid economic growth – but the government will remain vigilant to prevent any foreign takeover, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has affirmed.

“There would be a time when we’d be like Qatar or Dubai or one of those places where you need workers to come. We can’t do all [the work] because we don’t have enough people and we’re growing at a rapid pace,” the Vice President outlined.

Qatar and Dubai, both major oil-producing economies, have seen expatriates grow to make up over 50% of their populations.

Last year, Guyana experienced exceptional economic growth, with a 43.6% expansion in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). While this growth was largely driven by significant increases in oil production and exports, the country’s non-oil sector also showed strong performance, growing by 13.1%.

With projections of sustained rapid economic growth in the years ahead, Guyana – with a population of less than one million citizens – will need labour to support its expanding and emerging industries.

Jagdeo said locals will be given first preference to fill these human resources gaps but eventually, the country will import labour – processes which will be guided by a migration policy.

“We do have pockets of unemployment. In Region 4, we may have an abundance of jobs and Region 3. But what about Essequibo? What about Berbice? What about Linden? What about Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9? These communities still have a lot of people who need good paying jobs and good quality work. We should take care of our own first,” the Vice President noted.

He said this is why the government is steering more investments to these regions so that residents of those communities can benefit from higher paying jobs. Jagdeo noted too that the government wants to bring more Guyanese women into the workforce.

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Already, the government has permitted some companies to import labour for big projects, including the Demerara River Bridge. However, these instances were done in limited amounts and in an ad hoc manner.

The migration policy will allow for this process to be more formalised and according to Jagdeo, the government will ensure the country does not become overrun by foreigners.

He said, “…we don’t want to be overrun by foreigners too, because…we’re a small number, they may pose a threat to us as Guyanese. So, we have to be careful and protect our people.”

This is where the electronic identification card, scheduled to be rolled out next year, will play a significant role in tracking the movement of people in the country.

Foreign nationals will be issued a card distinct from the one provided to Guyanese citizens

“Every other foreigner would get another card of a different colour. So that means we will know how many Venezuelans are here, how many Chinese, etc. They can’t be in Guyana without that card because they wouldn’t be allowed to open a bank account or to do any other work here in Guyana,” Jagdeo explained, noting that the Guyanese card would provide citizens with certain “special rights”.

“Like coming through the airport, we don’t even have to clear immigration. We just swipe our card because we’re Guyanese citizens. The others have to go through a different sort of clearance,” he explained.

The Vice President also cautioned against xenophobic attitudes, reminding the public that there was a time in the country’s history when Guyanese themselves sought employment opportunities abroad.