KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Jamaica government says it is seeking to establish a fee structure for issuing CARICOM Skills Certificates in keeping with the amendments to the CARICOM Free Movement of Skilled Persons Act, which seeks to broaden the categories of skilled nationals able to access jobs in regional countries.
Labour and Social Security Minister, Derrick Kellier told legislators that the fees were aimed at offsetting the cost of services provided by the Free Movement Committee within the Ministry, in carrying out due diligence before issuing certificates. The Committee screens and grants provisional approvals for skills certificates.
“This co-opting of human resources results in a loss of manpower and the incurring of expenses due to the need to provide amenities for fortnightly meetings,” Kellier said.