Antigua and Barbuda’s Foreign Affairs Minister E.P Chet Greene says the twin island state will fight to the end to protect its Citizenship by Investment Programme.
He was responding to question about the viability of the citizenship for sale model in light of European Union concerns.
Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne is among the first regional leaders to write to the European Union, requesting that it reconsider its intention to phase out the Citizenship by Investment Programs in the Caribbean.
The EU Parliament voted recently, to ask the Commission to formulate a strategy to eventually request that CBI programs be removed in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis and all other countries allowing citizenship by investment.
In essence, these countries could be given an ultimatum by the EU, to end their Citizenship by Investment Program or face visa restrictions.
“I have taken the opportunity to write to them, to let them know the impact that they are about to inflict on our CIP programs and the impact on our economies,” Browne said on Saturday.
His letter also included, according to him, evidence that Antigua and Barbuda probably hold the most robust due diligence process before citizenship can be granted.
“Citizens from these countries who are trying to access citizenship under the program would have to get clearance from Interpol, a review of their financial background and a police report from their country of residence,” PM Browne added.
Browne believes that the CIP does not represent any risks to these countries as the EU would put it.
“As far as we are concerned, we are now collateral damage…” he said.
Browne said about 10% of the country’s revenue comes from the CIP while in other countries, their economies are almost absolutely reliant on their CIP.
“If they are successful in undermining our CIP, it will create problems for the OECS currency union countries. You can imagine the impact on these countries,” Browne added.
Meanwhile, Nuri Katz , the President for Apex Capital Partners; a licensed agent throughout the world for CIP said the latest news should be taken seriously, even as the actual process may be long in coming.
“They [the EU] have been talking about this for a long time. They haven’t made an official request yet of the countries. There may have been some unofficial approaches but the EU have not yet made that decision and that request may take quite a while,” he said.
According to the well-versed CIP agent, to achieve such a goal, the EU has to come up with a strategy that would have to go to the parliaments of all CIP countries.
“I think CIP countries should gather around the stakeholders in the industry and start making a strategy to try to work with the EU to fashion a response that will allow the CIP countries to maintain the programs and the visa-free travel to Europe,” he added.
Katz said the request, although it will take a while, must be taken seriously.
“I certainly think the CIP countries should worry about it. I believe that the EU is worried about how rigorous the due diligence is being done on candidates receiving citizenship. I’ve always said that the due diligence is the best known to man,” he added.
He said action must be taken “now” because it is [asking countries to stop their CIP] is on the horizon.
In 2014, when the island first entered into the CIP initiative, it reeled in a whopping $200 Million in just its first year, dipping to 67 million in just about one year. On average, the country yields about 100M every year.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
They need to end this CIP crap. Those government officials have diplomatic passports. It’s not fair to the rest of us. Scrap the bullsh*
End of message.
WAIT: THE ABLP WAS AGAINST THE CIP WHEN THEY WERE IN OPPOSITION.
NOW THEY ARE FOR IT NOW THEY ARE IN GOVERNMENT!
ABLP BUNCH OF HYPOCRITES! STAND FOR NOTHING EXCEPT SELF-ENRICHMENT.
BY THE WAY CHET, LOOK OUT FOR THE POLICE! THEY MIGHT SOON COME TO TAKE BACK THE COMPUTERS THAT INDONESIA SENT FOR BARBUDA!
Well Chet, this was always going to happen eventually, because, again, the ABLP didn’t do any proper due diligence with their CIP programme.
The EU directive to scrap this is absolutely correct, and if the ABLP ignores (this rich man’s scam for rogues) the European Union, 🇪🇺 it’ll be the Antiguans that will suffer economically.
If the European Union are saying the same thing as other countries about the vagaries of CIP, there must be some truth behind it.
REMEMBER ABLP, ALL MOUT NU SET FI TELL DI SAME LIE …
THIS IS THE MAN THAT BOUGHT COLOUR TV SETS FOR THE BLIND SCHOOL!
BTW! FIFA STILL LOOKING FOR YOU CHET! REMEMBER A WHOLE CHAPTER IN THE BOOK WAS DEVOTED TO CERTAIN WRONG DOINGS!.
WELL, WELL, WELL LOOK AT CORRUPTION!
Oh yes @ anna salome, I forgot about the money 💰 from FIFA that went missing. I remember hearing about a full investigation; however, I really thought that this financial impropriety was resolved by the ABLP … HOW ARE ANTIGUANS STILL WANTING TO VOTE 🗳 FOR THIS CABAL?
CHET! SCHOOL CHILDREN SAY THAT THE TOP DAWG USING BODY ARMOUR. HE FRAID THE KNIFE THAT A CERTAIN SOMEONE HAS TO PUT IN HIS BACK
Chet is a jackass. He says CIP cannot end but can he not see that the EU will end it for us if we do not do it ourselves? It will end one way or the other. Don’t be such a dunce horse’s ass, Chet. Open up your eyes and see the truth.
Election coming. Chet just gave us another reason to vote against ALP. Destroying the use of our passports for all Antiguans.
What a set a man so blasted stupid!!. Question to ministers, if the EU decide to cut visa-free travel from us won’t that render our passport useless? I mean COME ON, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. AGAIN IM CALLING EVERY ANTIGUAN AND BARBUDAN TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE AND VOTE OUT THESE MAD PEOPLE OUT OF OFFICE.
A way de money garn!!!! A plenty money you a brag bout!!! And are we still ha fu tek wash off with sauce pan and bucket!!!
I was always opposed to this selling of passports from the very start with the UPP. There is just something fundamentally wrong with someone buying my birthright. If you guys are intent on making my passport worthless then I’m intent on voting you fools out of office.
It will eventually comes to an end. I think we should get as much money out of it before the lid is closed, then we give them the finger. This European aggression must come to an end.Those of you who are afraid of getting visa to travel to another country well good for you.
What all this tark bout ANTIGUA PASSPORT …ITS ALREADY USELESS ONLY JAMAICANS ….GUYANESE THRISTY FOR THAT USELESS SHIT…..WHO REALLYCARES ABT ANTIGUAN
PASSPORT…… I WONT EVER AGAIN LET ANYONE SEE ME WITH THAT BS…… THANKS TO A GREEDY ALP ANTIGUA IS LAUGHABLE ….CORRUPTED …..DIRTY …SINK….THANK GOD ALL U ALL CAN SELL IS TIMESHARE IN HOTELS AND SUN…..ANTIGUA IS NOW A JAMAICAN & GUYANESE HAVEN…
We had a country way before CIP and we lived in love and were our brothers keeper. VC Bird run this country without CIP. Lester Bird as minister of tourism did wanders without CIP. During the pandemic we lived without CIP. So what the fuss If CIP has to go. All will be missing is the big fat purse for Caribbean politicians to stop thief from. They are a bunch of thieves. Black politicians selling out we black birth right.
Comments are closed.