Chinese-owned businesses are everywhere and anywhere in Trinidad and Tobago.Rapidly mushrooming, new Chinese immigrants are acquiring properties in urban and suburban neighbourhoods throughout the country and establishing groceries and restaurants.A random check along the Eastern Main Road from Morvant to Sangre Grande revealed some 310 Chinese restaurants in existence.On Charlotte Street in Port-of-Spain there are no fewer than 12 establishments operated by Chinese nationals, many of whom barely speak English.
Most of these businesses are groceries and haberdashery stores.The majority of the business owners admitted to having no work permits but insisted they had "legal papers" to remain in T&T.At Broadway in Port-of-Spain, at the Hong Kong Supermarket, a Chinese woman at the cash register was adamant that she did not need a work permit because she was born in Trinidad. She spoke with a thick accent.Seated next to her was another Chinese woman packing groceries.
When asked whether the packer had a work permit, the woman said she did not know nor did she know how the woman entered the country.A stone's throw away at Tai Hing Restaurant and Bar, the owners, a husband and wife, admitted to having no work permit."We now come to Trinidad two weeks ago and we set up business. We have no work permit."Is husband, me and son. We come to operate restaurant. We don't know how to get work permit. "We don't know anybody in Immigration."You could help us get work permit? We hear we have to wait long to get work permit?" the wife asked.
She said she was invited to work in T&T by "relatives."How are these Chinese immigrants, who have been flocking into the country, allowed to work without permits?How do they sustain themselves?Where do they get the money to set up businesses?
Police: Big bucks for permits
According to police officers working in an intelligence unit, thousands of dollars were normally shelled out to secure work permits. ."We have heard that as much as $100,000 is paid to get work permits, depending on the number of Chinese who are brought into the country to work in restaurants and groceries," one officer told the Sunday Guardian.He explained that "for years" Chinese immigrants, who have been in T&T for a lengthy period, would normally bring in other immigrants.
The older heads would, in turn, provide the financial backing for business ventures on the promise of repayment.Police said they have not ruled out the possibility that "fraud and bribery" existed within the Immigration Department but it was difficult to positively finger anyone due to lack of evidence.One officer, who is living on the outskirts of Port-of-Spain, said he was recently approached by a Chinese national who wanted to rent his property in Belmont to open a restaurant."The Chinese man barely spoke English and came with another Chinese man who could not speak any English.
"The first Chinese identified himself as the interpreter and said he was interested in opening a restaurant at my property for the next Chinese man."The Chinese man who spoke no English showed me a Chinese passport but the interpreter said he had all his papers in order," the officer said.He said there were 14 illegal Chinese nationals at the Detention Centre in Wallerfield waiting to be sent back to their homeland.According to intelligence, police said some of the immigrants entered T&T via the airports but have never returned to China.
Small business suffering
The influx of Chinese immigrants setting up shop here has led to the strangulation of small businesses throughout T&T, says Jonathan Adams, president of the Small Enterprising Business Association (SEBA).Adams said Chinese immigrants who came into the country and established businesses were not part of his organisation.The association, he maintained, comprised only local businessmen many of them small caterers.Agreeing that there had been a recent mushrooming of Chinese restaurants, Adams identified the San Juan area where there were clusters of Chinese restaurants with the Golden Palace Restaurant being the apparent parent establishment.
He said because of the flourishing of Chinese restaurants, local caterers were being undermined."There has been a flourishing of Chinese restaurants all over the country and they have been affecting our small caterers, especially people who provide Indian dishes and Creole dishes," Adams said.Maintaining that his organisation had no problem with free enterprise, Adams said given T&T's present economic state it was blatantly unfair for illegal Chinese immigrants to set up business in this country.
Adams called for the Government's immediate intervention and said efforts must be taken to ensure the rights of citizens were protected as it related to sustainability in entrepreneurship."Our very local market is under threat by these illegal Chinese who are setting up businesses all over the place."We can't go to China and do the same because in the wink of eye we would be deported. What's really happening in T&T?"
Associations providingaccommodation
The Toy Shan Association appears to be a run-down two story building at the bottom of Charlotte Street.But behind the two heavily reinforced iron gates dwells a community of Chinese immigrants living in conditions that can best be described as squalid.One man who identified himself as Yitping Lee, 60, said he did not work anywhere but called the association his home.He said he was a pensioner and had no work permit or "papers" to show legal citizenship but came to T&T from China six years ago.
He said he liked Trinidad and had no intention of returning to his native land.Lee said the building was outfitted with eight rooms and housed about seven to eight other Chinese nationals.Another man who only gave his name as "Zau" also admitted to having no work permit.After repeatedly being quizzed about what he did for a living "Zau" said, "I lease property in San Juan."Inside the Toy Shan Association mirrored barracks-like quarters with small rooms secured by a simple wooden door with a latch on the outside.Outside each room is a table strewn with basic amenities ranging from toiletries to uncovered cooking items.
The grimy walls outside the rooms were plastered with notices in Mandarin.Further up at 129 Charlotte Street, a member of the Chung Shan Association distanced himself from assisting Chinese immigrants obtain work permits.He said that when immigrants come to Trinidad, association members would normally assist them with meals and accommodation until they could manage on their own.Other Chinese associations on Charlotte Street include the Chinese Civic Association and The China Society located upstairs Wong Wei Supermarket next to the Fui Toong On Association.
No corruption withpermits-Panday
Minister in the Ministry of National Security Subhas Panday has assured that under his tenure there has been no corrupt practices regarding the distribution of work permits.He said the committee dealing specifically with work permits comprised the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Labour and the National Security Ministry.Saying he did not sit on the committee last week, Panday said the Special Branch also played an integral role in monitoring illegal Chinese immigrants and gathering intelligence regarding their movements."The Special Branch does checks and recommendations are made following which the National Security Minister would decide. I have granted and denied some applications."
A regulatory body is urgently needed in the real estate industry, urged Afra Raymond, president of the Joint Consultative Council (JCC).He said the majority of transactions, whether it be for purchase or rent, were conducted via cheque which meant there was some sort of paper trail at the various financial institutions."The financial instruments are being issued by our banks. That money has to get into the bank and there must be an explanation. " Raymond said.While maintaining he had no issues with Chinese immigrants who ventured to T&T many years ago and assisted in nation-building, he also expressed concern about the influx of Chinese immigrants in to the country.
Raymond, who is a chartered property surveyor, said some real estate agents would willingly rent or source properties for illegal Chinese immigrants."There are some agents who would do that because at the end of the day if a cheque is presented it would hardly be likely that it would be turned down."If a man came in with a bag of money, then that is questionable because 99.9 per cent of the time transactions are made by cheque. And what law would the agent be breaking in the first place if he took the cheque? It needs to be defined what is the function of the real estate agent as it pertains to law breaking" Raymond said.He said during his long standing career, he encountered only one case, several years ago, where a client produced cash.That person, he said, was a police officer who wanted to do a transaction with a brief case full of cash.He said while there existed no measures such as background checks on potential clients, initiatives were being made to have them implemented.
According to an official at the National Security Ministry 1,698 applications have been made for work permits in T&T for 2011 to date. For 2010 there were 6,791 applications. A foreign national wishing to work in Trinidad and Tobago must apply for a work permit through the Ministry of National Security. Each work permit is issued to a particular person for a specified period of time and for attachment to a particular company or institution, as described in the permit. Work permits are only issued to those who possess skills or expertise not available in Trinidad and Tobago.
When to apply fora work permit?
A person must apply for a work permit to work in Trinidad and Tobago and must meet the following requirements:
• Is not a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago.
• Is not a holder of a Certificate of Recognition of Caribbean Community Skills Qualification and certified to work within the Caribbean Community (Caricom) region under the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME). Please follow the links below for more information on CSME and the Caricom Skills Certificate of Recognition.
• Wants to enter the country for the purpose of work or work-related activities for a period of more than 30 days. You may enter the country for 30 days or less for work or work-related activities without a work permit once during any consecutive 12-month period.
How to apply?
A person can submit a work permit application in person, or application can be submitted on behalf by:
• A company or institution based in Trinidad and Tobago that wishes to employ that person.
• An appointed attorney in Trinidad and Tobago.
• An appointed company or institution based in Trinidad and Tobago acting on behalf of a foreign company.
A person or representative must complete the original and seven copies of the Work Permit application form. In addition, the following supporting documentation must be submitted with the application:
• Police certificate of character from an applicant's country of residence.
• One copy of a valid foreign passport.