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Dear Prime Minister Andrew Holness and your leadership,

We write to express our deep frustration and concern regarding the significant delays, inefficiencies, and blatant corruption within Minister Charles Jr office and the Work Permits Division at the Ministry of Labour. The current situation is untenable, and we urge your immediate intervention.

In recent times, professionals handling work permit applications have never encountered the extreme level of mismanagement and corruption now pervasive under Minister Pearnel Charles Jr. It has become an open secret that permits are only being expedited if substantial bribes—now at US$1,000 per permit—are paid to individuals directly linked to the minister or various ministry staff. This has turned what should be a structured government process into an outright extortion racket.

Even well-established firms such as PriceWaterhouseCoopers are struggling to secure work permits, and many businesses—both local and international—are facing immense operational difficulties due to these delays. The low unemployment rate further compounds the issue, as companies desperately need to fill critical roles yet are being stifled by a system riddled with inefficiency and corruption.

Under previous ministers—his father Pearnel Charles Sr, Fenton Ferguson, Derrick Kellier, Shahine Robinson, Mike Henry, and Karl Samuda—the Ministry of Labour functioned far more effectively and ethically. The current situation is a drastic regression, and the widespread belief among stakeholders is that many within the ministry are now “hustling” for personal gain, rather than serving the public interest.

Despite repeated efforts to bring these issues to the attention of the Government, no meaningful action has been taken. Companies are frustrated, economic growth is being hindered, and faith in the system is rapidly eroding.

Prime minister, we implore you to personally intervene immediately to:

1. Investigate the systemic corruption plaguing the minister’s office and the Work Permits Division.

2. Hold Minister Pearnel Charles Jr accountable for the state of affairs under his leadership.

3. Implement urgent reforms to restore efficiency, transparency, and professionalism in the processing of work permits.

4. Release permits on hold for months because we haven’t paid the heavy extortion money 

Jamaica cannot afford for the Ministry of Labour to become a roadblock to business and investment. The current state of affairs is a major deterrent to economic progress, and your prompt action is necessary to restore confidence in the system.

We look forward to your urgent attention to this matter. We are very frustrated.  Our next step is to write our embassies. 

Sincerely,

A Group of Very Concerned Stakeholders