US cites Citizenship programs in Antigua and 2 other countries for lack of transparency

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News Americas: The US government has cited the Citizenship by Investment Program in three Caribbean countries for “lack of transparency” in the latest Human Rights Report released Tuesday.

In the ‘Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government,’ section, the 2020 report identifies the CIP programs in Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica and St. Kitts & Nevis as citizen concerns on oversight and corruption due to a lack of openness.

In Antigua & Barbuda, the US pointed to reports of government corruption by the media and private citizens including the September 2020 clash of Prime Minister Gaston Browne and a prominent member of his political party, who traded public and specific accusations of corruption in government procurement and other areas that neither person refuted.

In Dominica, the US report pointed to local media and opposition leadership, who continue to raise allegations of corruption within the government, including in the Citizenship by Investment program and pointed to the fact that while the law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials …  the government implemented the law inconsistently.”

And in St. Kitts & Nevis, the US report pointed to media and private citizens reporting on government corruption “occasionally” even as citizens “expressed concern about the lack of financial oversight of revenues generated by the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program.”

But the US report also pointed out that the St. Kitts & Nevis Timothy Harris government introduced security measures in 2018 to make the CBI process more transparent and began vetting investors.

Though the report noted that “the government did not publicize the number of passports issued through CBI or the nationalities of the passport holders.”

The CIP Programs in the Eastern Caribbean countries have been a source of continued criticism by the US and many nationals locally who question the use of “donation” funds that are part of the attractive offer for a second passport in these jurisdictions and visa free travel to between 152 and 162 countries.

In Antigua & Barbuda and Dominica, the minimum economic contribution (or donation to the country under the government’s investor visa program starts at US$100,000 while in St. Kitts & Nevis, the “donation” starts at US$150,000.

Five Caribbean countries offer the CIP programs but neither Grenada nor St. Lucia were cited for lack of transparency in the report.

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11 COMMENTS

  1. INE MEENY MINY MOE Naa Naa it can’t be my wife have more money than your wife Gastons fault .
    As with all things wrong 🤔 I wonder if it’s Lovell , UPP or Tabor’s fault ?

  2. Give me an aspirin. Transparency is been used by whom? Joke somebody making!!!! Why do we believe everything that’s come from up North? The miseducation and misinformation seems astonishly.

    • Ok but you believe everything that comes out of the Moustache mouth .

      • It’s not a dirty political game that you dumb blinded follower’s. I am sure if the worst government of Wadadli history was in charge. You will be singing a different tune. It’s not about who is charge. Wadadli is bigger. Stand up for your country and show some patriotism like the good old uncle Sam.

  3. It’s becoming clearer and clearer, as to why many Caribbean #Quasi Nations have turned to China and Chinese investments, along with this new #MoneyTrain aka CIP for foreign investors/investments. Let me interject here, and say that, I am for #Transparency but not in such a way, that it’s controlled by our American propaganda engines. Outside of private investors(USVI/Puerto Rico the exception), the same US Government nor major US Corporations invested heavily in the Caribbean over the last 50 plus years. Yes, we got some military assistance on drug and money laundering, but those to some degree, only went but so far.

    America is now worried, that because the Movement and control of currencies is now virtual, her regulatory powers are being diminished, therefore her former regulators which stifled Our offshore banking, will not have such an easy time controlling the(Our) money markets.
    Now, speaking of the control of markets, while China and Chinese Investments along with the #NewFunders – CIP are bringing a boost to our economy’s where is Our Regional oversight and regulatory bodies which should not only look into allegations of lack of transparency by private citizens and the local media, again where are our Caribbean regulations and regulators that can investigate these claims, and even file charges against those corrupted officials or agencies/prograns?

    I know, i can still dream!

  4. Wait the US still think that they are a thing? Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. The US is busy pointing out everyone’s shortcomings to hide their own appalling issue.

    Go fix your own house before trying to fix the world.

  5. Lol some of you 🤡 lay down and play dead to everything that’s done to you bad or good because you vote for a particular party . you think it’s bad now , without the U.S life in Àntigua would unimaginable hard from food on the table to unemployment

  6. More rubbish, the US is now using opposition propaganda to influence its opinion on the CIP in these islands.

  7. Clearly the US lacks the ability to port transparency because right after the statements made by AM, the CIP unit itself held a press conference and addressed the issue AM raised. They disputed much of his statements yet the US either pretends or is ignorance of the said press conference. Presser was covered by the media and resulted in “CIU Refutes allegations of exchange of passports for shares as patently false and deliberately misleading” Seems the US is on purpose blind

  8. There is no transparency whatsoever with the current regime in power. They must all be voted out.

    Where are the murderers of Nigel Christian?
    Where are the murderers of Nigel Christian?
    Where are the murderers of Nigel Christian?
    Where are the murderers of Nigel Christian?
    Where are the murderers of Nigel Christian?
    Where are the murderers of Nigel Christian?

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