Guernsey work permit scheme 'needs to be right'

Moves to create a work permit system have taken longer than expected but need to be right first time, Guernsey's housing minister has said.

The Population Policy Group expects to put final proposals before the States later this year after deputies agreed to the changes in January 2011.

A two-year public consultation on the change followed two years of research.

Deputy Dave Jones said it had taken longer than expected, but the work was very detailed.

He said: "It's a complex law, we're moving away from something the island's had for 60 years to a new system of managing the island's population and we need to get it right first time.

"You can't take a punt at this because the lives and well-being of our people who are here, and people who wish to come in the future, are at stake."

maybe its time to stop so many people coming to live in the island..lets hope the work permit scheme goes some of the way to cutting down the number of people who are coming to work for 9 months then going away for 3 months,then claiming back income tax after using the islands services for the time they were here..they then return to the island after the 3 month break and the cycle begins again.

I do not understand how some are doing the jobs that locals WANT to do.i know a few instances that the none local has driven out a local from their jobs as they were so horrible towards them.
this is so unfair . now that the single mums have to return back into work once their child is 7 they should stop none locals having the jobs.

There is a cleaning company that employ only none locals . fair to them they do work hard .
but we need to make sure locals are all fully employed .as most none locals only send money back to their own country this does not help our own struggling finances .

so very true kat...you only have to listen to all the different languages you hear in most of the shops,cafes and restaurants in town .

In what way will the proposed new 'permit' scheme differ from the current 'licence' system ?