The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) yesterday said that it’s high time the Canadian government includes Guyana on the list of Latin American and Caribbean states whose citizens do not have to acquire a visa to enter the North American country.
In the wake of a Government of Canada announcement informing of its decision to qualify 13 countries to receive visa-free access to the country, the GCCI in a release yesterday seized the opportunity to reiterate its call for visa-free access for Guyanese to Canada. The list includes Latin American and Caribbean territories. The Chamber made it clear that it welcomes the fact that the Government of Canada remains receptive to allowing visa-free access to its territory and views this as a positive move to engender economic growth.
According to the release, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Sean Fraser, recently announced the addition of 13 countries to the electronic travel authorization (eTA) programme. Travellers from these countries who have either held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or who currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa can now apply for an eTA instead of a visa when travelling to Canada by air. Effective June 6, eligible travellers from the following countries can benefit from the programme: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Costa Rica, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, the Seychelles, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay.
The Canadian government explained that individuals who already have a valid visa can continue to use it to travel to Canada. Those who are not eligible for an eTA, or who are travelling to Canada by means other than air (for example, by car, bus, train and boat – including by cruise ship), will still need a visitor visa. It also advised that travellers can visit Canada.ca/eTA to find out whether they’re eligible for an eTA and how to apply for one.
The Chamber stated that with the establishment of diplomatic relations since 1964, the two countries have developed “strong economic and commercial ties, developed on mutual respect for democracy and enterprise.” It also noted Guyana is the third largest merchandising partner with Canada in the Caribbean community as well as being one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It also spoke to the deepening of relations through the use of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). “The GCCI itself continues to deepen relations with Canada, having established MoUs with a number of sister agencies in the country, hosting and fielding trade missions and continuing to work to support partnerships between Guyanese and Canadian companies.
And in an effort to further buttress its point of view, the release noted that the Guyanese diaspora in Canada numbers in excess of 85,000. As such it opined that the removal of the visa restriction for Guyanese entering Canada will serve to “engender improved trade relations, support deeper commercial and economic ties and support economic growth” for both territories.
“The GCCI thanks the Government of Canada and the Canadian people for its continued leadership role in global affairs, support for Guyana’s development and anticipates continued cooperation with both the government and private sector of Canada,” the release added.
