Penal businesses wary of V’zuelan workers

PRESIDENT of the Penal/Debe Chamber of Commerce (PDCC) Rampersad Sieuraj said while businesses are reporting progress since hiring Venezuelan migrants, they have to hire additional supervisors to monitor their new workforce.

The PDCC has reported improvement in business and the number of customers at bars and clubs in Penal/Debe/Siparia and Point Fortin areas.

“At the end of July we saw improved business activities at the bars and clubs that carry Venezuelan employees,” he said. As for other stores, Rampersad said businessmen are on their guard with workers.

“They were registered by immigration to stay in the country, but they were not questioned on their backgrounds,” Rampersad said, adding that the question remained whether the migrants were on their best behaviour in order to gain trust.

He said many are following strict work rules and doing more than is expected of them. “There is a sense of reserved acceptance. Employment opportunities are available and accepted, but obviously, without proper screening, we are concerned with misdemeanours.”

Businesses are also concerned about possible illnesses among the migrants, since there is a mosquito infestation in Penal with the coming of the rains. A major bone of contention, Rampersad, said is that Penal-Debe has a population of 90,000 people but now has to provide for an additional 10,000.

“The annual budget allocations for this area is $50 or $60 million, as compared to Tobago, who get billions of dollars annually to cater for 50,000 people.”

He said while registration has been closed to these migrants, many thousands who have not been registered are hiding out in the hope of staying in TT.

The port in Cedros, he said is closed at present but migrants who came in through Icacos, Los Iros, Point Fortin, Cedros, Erin and Quinam are “floating around” in the southland.