Prime Minister Godwin Friday says his New Democratic Party government plans to introduce a Citizenship by Investment programme in 2026, reopening debate over the policy’s economic benefits and potential risks.
Friday described the initiative as a “critical economic pillar” as St. Vincent and the Grenadines nears its borrowing limits, saying it would create new revenue streams and help the government plan ahead.
The announcement has renewed regional and international scrutiny of citizenship-for-investment schemes, which have drawn criticism from partners including the United States and the United Kingdom over concerns about security, money laundering and reputational risk. Critics warn that weak safeguards can allow abuse, while supporters argue that strong due diligence can deliver meaningful gains for small island economies.
Friday said SVG intends to learn from other countries’ experiences and avoid past pitfalls, but offered no timeline for legislation, compliance frameworks or international consultations. The NDP pledged to pursue CBI during the November 2025 election campaign.
Opposition figures and civil society groups have urged caution, questioning whether the potential revenue outweighs diplomatic and regulatory costs amid heightened global scrutiny.
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You see me tell you, we all just feel elated when someone gets elected, but later on we will learn that they have nothing to offer but more of the same, this prime minister is intellectually lethargic, his first option is to sell the sovereignty of st Vincent, but come! Follow along Antigua and Dominica path.
Somebody please give this man the memo….
By the way waiting for am official word about the Venezuela killings. Depending on what he says will determine if he can have a CBI program.
If he follows T and T and say all things US bright and beautiful he will get his program for a time. But if he says they need to come to the 6able and chat he will not get a cbi program.
Gonzales Sr or JR will be back in 4 years. What a waste man? Selling citizenship for dubious characters aka official bribery.
That means someone that has been on ground for years and years cannot get it regular means, but any one from Iran*, India etc etc can purchase a Passport? Does he want the racial tension that is in TT?
Does this SVG PM not see what is happening here with the US travel restriction and the EU threatening the revoke our visa free travel? CIP is coming to an end! It will shortly be dead one way or another when we discontinue it voluntarily to avoid further travel restrictions or, if we fail to do so, it will end when the EU and the UK withdraw our visa free status and nobody wants our passports to buy after that. Simple as that.
Thumbs up! Gonsalves licked the US’ behind for so long, singing their no-CBI anthem in the hope of curry favoring with those Satanists in Washington and where did that get him??? A clean-sweep kick out of office! Boo hoo hoo!
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