Cheers & Jeers To/For:
1. Cheers – To the New Carmel Seventh Day Adventist
Church for not only undertaking another “Ingathering
Campaign” to benefit Montserrat, but also for
the excellence of their serenades as well.
2. Cheers Again – To everyone involved in the
2003 -04 ash clean-up. Seeing the island today in
all its green glory should make you all very proud
for what you accomplished.
3. Jeers – For too many BIG trucks breaking
up the roads faster than the PWD can repair them.
4. Jeers – To those responsible for allowing
the barge to run aground on the Little Bay reef..
New Expat “Immigration” Rules:
If you have been coming to this beautiful island of
Montserrat for many years, as most current expats
have, and you arrived back on island recently you’d
best check your passport NOW! Regrettably the previous
precedent of granting an automatic six-month stay
is no longer in effect. Even more regrettable is the
fact that that there are those in officialdom that
are of the conviction that the “onus”
to be aware of this rests solely on our/your shoulders.
That you are coming not as a tourist, but a homeowner,
having been previously informed by GOM that one of
the advantages of property ownership on this island
was unfettered access; that you had previously always
been granted a six-month stay, filled out your “International
E/D Card” indicating an extended visit and marked
said form as “Own Property” is not seen
as reason for “Immigration” to inform
you they cannot stamp your passport for the term you
desire. Better to let you run afoul of the law than
extend the courtesy of “an ounce of prevention.”
Say this can’t happen – NOT SO, as my
wife and I and another “homeowner” couple
who arrived on the 8:30 a.m. chopper on Sunday, January
9th can attest.
Using the business “rule of thumb” --
that for every dollar you spend to keep a customer
you will spend $5.00 to attract a new one, this seems
to be shooting oneself in the economic foot. Any government
that is attempting to achieve a self-sufficient economy
needs to expend every effort to avoid contentious
situations, not promote them. Do not despair, the
Commissioner of Police is coming to our rescue!
As I inquired around for answers to “what is
this all about?” “do we have to really
leave the island after 60 days, rather than our desired
five months?” etc., I quickly realized that
most folks were as much in the dark as I and those
who had answers were contradicting each other. I thus
endeavored to contact that person in charge of “Immigration”
and was informed this was Inspector Woodley, but who
is currently off-island. Inspector Lee of the Montserrat
Police Force then took the initiative of directing
me to Mr. John Douglas, Commissioner of Police &
Chief Immigration Officer. Commissioner Douglas was
kind enough to meet with me and made me feel most
welcome in the true spirit of cooperation and finding
"common ground." I present the highlights
of that meeting as follows:
1. The legislation that changed the previous immigration
policy was enacted approximately five [5] years ago,
but circumstances were such at the time that the new
regulations were not implemented.
2. The policy of only granting a 30-, 60- or 90-day
initial stay to expat homeowners was necessitated
because there have been persons who have provided
false “International E/D Card” information
to gain entry and the Port of Entry Immigration Officers
have no way to check on property ownership.
3. Thus legitimate homeowners are now requested to
check in at the Brades Police Headquarters, at their
convenience during their stamped initial stay period,
to request that their stay be extended for whatever
time period they wish - up to one year. Property ownership
will be verified, a $50.00 EC fee will be charged
and we can then continue to enjoy our stay.
4. Expat property owners have always been very welcome
to Montserrat, will remain so and are recognized as
important contributors to Montserrat’s economy.
5. Henceforth every effort will be made to insure
that these new rules are explained to all persons
entering Montserrat [who are neither residents nor
citizens] when their requested stay is longer than
the Immigration Officer is allowed to grant and will
be posted there as well.
6. The Police Department will be providing HE the
Governor with a “paper” on this subject,
which was to be submitted to her on Tuesday February
1, and this document will become part of the public
record after the Governor approves it.
7. Expats leaving the island in 2005 who have not
extended their stays will be admonished for not doing
so, but will be allowed to depart with just this warning.
“Montserrat still home, still nice.”
Thank you Commissioner Douglas for your time, effort
and assistance.
(These “Views From the Outside” are
presented as motivational food for thought. As an
entrepreneur and business veteran with over 35 years
of hands-on management experience, I feel I can speak
with some authority. My goal is to hopefully generate
some of the sparks that kindle the desire to act proactively
– now -- not reactively after opportunities
are lost.)
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