Cabinet has approved ten-year work permits but the Minister responsible said he does not want to issue any.

Immigration Minister David Burch yesterday appeared to backtrack on his announcement that a longer term limit will be introduced.

Asked when the ten-year work permits were likely to come into effect, he said: "I'm not issuing any."

He admitted: "There is a fee included in the schedule of fees approved ($20,000 for a ten-year work permit in the Government Fees Amendment Regulations 2010).

"It is a recommendation approved by Cabinet and one we (the Department of Immigration) took forward.

"The Ministry is working out the policy but I'm not terribly keen on it, as a result of a clear challenge in my understanding of what people's views on term limits are. They say one thing to my face and say another thing publicly."

Citing "hypocrisy" within the business community, the Minister said: "I just wish someone would stand up and tell me what the real deal is."

After spending "the better part of two years" consulting with stakeholders, he said: "It seems as if I have wasted my time."

The Minister said he has previously issued extensions on term limits if they meet the criteria for key workers.

He told a press conference yesterday: "One employer said, 'The truth be told, most of the people in this industry, none of them will give the impression to the wider community that this is something which is not an issue'.

"We have five people who continue to beat away that term limits is the death knell and they stir it up and put it in the media. But the vast majority of people don't have a problem with it at all."

As Immigration Minister however, he said he has to review policy.

"Having come up with the idea of a ten-year work permit I took it to Cabinet and Cabinet approved it, but it's still the Minister's decision. At this stage of the game I'm not inclined to introduce too many of them. Let me just say, ten year work permits are not the exclusivity of international business. I'm not overly inclined to push to get a policy in place to issue them. Not one person in this country will stand up and be honest about term limits."

The Minister continued: "What I find offensive is having to apologise for defending the rights of Bermudians and being criticised as anti-foreign. It is not (anti-foreign).

"This Government in 12 years has done more to support business in this country than the previous Government did in the previous 30 years. They (international business) have made more money under a PLP Government than they did previously, so the suggestion we are anti-business is a fallacy.

"The hypocrisy of what people are saying... The person who criticises the most about contracts in this country is foreign, and is the largest supplier of consultants to the Government of Bermuda.

"It just defies logic that people can suggest we are anti-business when the facts don't support it."

Sen. Burch announced in the Senate last week that the introduction of a ten-year work permit for key workers would "raise the level of comfort" in international business.

Yesterday a Government spokeswoman said the Minister will be able to issue "permits for up to ten years... in certain circumstances" and confirmed Sen. Burch "does not intend to issue such permits as yet" because the policy is currently being developed".

Yesterday Sen. Burch also spoke on a forum for Bermudians to discuss expatriate workers' term limits, scheduled to be held at the Berkeley Institute on April 8. He said he organised the meeting after being contacted by young Bermudians in international business. "It ain't a Burchism, I didn't think this up," he said. "They telephoned my office and said, 'You've dealt with everybody, what about us?'. They want to come and have a dialogue."

Asked why, as Shadow Immigration Minister Michael Dunkley could not attend, Sen. Burch said yesterday: "He's the Shadow Minister of everything. Mr. Dunkley is rude, so I don't take instructions from Mr. Dunkley.

"To say my meeting is 'divisive', well from my world you're entitled to your opinion but why would you want to come to a divisive meeting?"

He added: "It is nothing to do with Mr. Dunkley."