曼省商业移民鲜为人知的内幕，被曼省太阳报报道。NDP政府置之不理
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曼省商业移民项目“里外照应”的押金退款行为 - 没有任何政府质疑
曼尼托巴省的省提名计划的商业移民尽管有很多人申请，但是近一两年每年只批准了150个申请。实际情况是渥太华允许曼省每年有400个批准名额。过去的商业移民需要向曼尼托巴发展公司（MDC）。交纳押金75000加币（目前为$ 100,000加币）。如果投资移民落地后满足投资和居住要求，他们的押金存款会不计利息的退还给投资人。落地后，没有履行义务的投资人，省政府会没收押金存款，过去两年中的官方报告数据显示没收的押金数额为2千8百万加币，也就是373名落地的投资移民没有履行义务。
许多人都符合移民条件，获得了批准，带着家属落地了曼省，但未能建立企业。该项目是为了给曼省吸引投资和让更多的家庭居住在曼省。然而，目前看项目成为了政府没收押金存款获取收入的运营模式。
2012年曼省政府对该项目运行作了审查，安置部一位华人经理，负责协助和批准商业移民的计划，同时也负责押金退款返还，因为配偶所从事的行业因此陷入利益冲突。他的配偶经营着一家移民公司，同时也是有执照的房地产经纪人。她公开在（曼尼托巴）中国媒体声称，她可以帮助投资移民获得他们的75000加币押金存款。她的丈夫就是该安置部经理。当冲突被发现，该华人经理立即辞职，离开了曼尼托巴省。
早已经离开曼省的这位华人安置部经理曾批准了几十个改变移民商业计划的投资人，并还建议了数百个项目改变计划- 允许押金退款总额以数百万加币计算。这位华人经理离职3年后，审计报告要求的关于投资者在曼省的投资居住报告或者前任安置部项目经理的问题如何处理，没有任何下文。
很多投资者投资了生意，获得了押金返还，这些人到底是否依旧居住在曼省？到底有多少这样的投资人？很多未解的问题依然存在。
目前太多的投资者没有履行投资义务，直接就扔掉押金协全家去了其它省份。在过去的两年报告里，一共有375商业移民获批 -每年仅仅150人获批，同时这150人也就直接扔掉押金去了其它省份。这些投资移民一旦完成投资义务，获得押金后，曼省政府就对他们失去了兴趣。
曼省商业投资移民项目已经运营了15年，到目前为止没有一个关于投资者到底有多少人真正居住曼省的数据分析报告。而且，该安置部经理发生押金退款利益冲突突然离职三年之后，仍然一直没有任何后续审查。在他任职期间，生意启动是否符合要求，目前是否仍然经营生意，或者是否还居住在曼省。根本没有任何报告和依据可以查询。
该移民计划目的是吸引投资者并让他们全家在曼省生活工作来促进曼省的人口增长和经济发展。项目依旧存在。
现任政府应该针对项目的问题展开进一步调查，不要在继续包庇事实真相。如果需要，应该送到警务部门处理。
Grahm Lane一位退休曼省电力局的特许会计师，是曼尼托巴前进委员会（www.manitobaforward.ca）的主席。
英文原文如下来自太阳报：
Conflict ofinterest remains ignored
Manitoba's Provincial Nominee Program forbusiness immigrants approves only 150 applications a year though hundreds moreapply. Ottawa allows Manitoba 400 each year. Past business immigrants deposited$75,000 (now $100,000) with the Manitoba Development Corporation (MDC). Theirdeposit, without interest, is refunded if investment and residence requirementsare met. Fail to to meet your obligation, the provincial government gobbles upyour deposit; $28-million over the last two reported years.
Many are qualified, pay and come, withdependents, but fail to set up a business. Those that don't invest can exceedthose that do. Yet, the objective is to attract and retain new business owners,not 'gobble up' deposits for the government's overall operations.
In the Auditor General’s 2012 review, the program's then-manager in charge of assisting andapproving business immigrants' plans, also with responsibility for refundingdeposits, was caught in a conflict of interest. His spouse operated an immigration company and was a licensed realtor.She advertised in the local (Manitoba) Chinese media claiming she could helpimmigrant investors get their $75,000 deposits back. Her husband controlledrefunding. Upon the conflict being discovered, the then-manager immediatelyresigned and left the province.
This long-gone manager approved dozens ofchanges to immigrant business plans and recommended changes to hundreds more -allowing for refunds totalling in the millions. Despite the possibility thathis actions were affected by his spouse and her relationship with businessimmigrants, facilitating the refunding of deposits, the auditor's report onlycalled for a review of retention. Also needed is a follow-up of cases involvingthe then-manager and his spouse. Three years after the departure of themanager, the auditor report suggests that there has been neither a retentionstudy nor a review of the former manager's cases.
The question looms over the program - werequalifying investments actually made, and, for those that got their depositback, who is still here in Manitoba?
Going beyond the actions of the then-manager,there have been far too many business immigrants walking away from theirdeposits, but, likely, staying in Canada with their dependents. In the last tworeported years, a total of 375 business immigrants – a staggering numbergiven only 150 approvals per year - 'walked away'. When notified that theimmigrant's obligation to invest has been met, the Province has simply refundedthe deposit and lost interest.
Despite 15-years of the program's existence,not a single report has been issued on retention. And, now, over three yearsafter the departure of the former manager's and recognition of his conflict ofinterest, there still has been no review to determine whether refunded depositsduring his tenure were invested in bona fide Manitoba businesses andwhether those investors remain in business and in the province.
The objectives of the program, recruit businessimmigrants to invest and live, with their families in Manitoba, remains valid.Manitoba relies on immigration and business investments to grow its populationand economy.
That said, the government should stop hiding aterrible record as to the attracting and retaining business immigrants.And, the past conflict of interest needs to be thoroughly assessed. Ifinappropriate transactions are found, document them and go to the police.
Graham Lane, a retired chartered accountant,is chair of Manitoba Forward (www.manitobaforward.ca).
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