Economic Citizenship A Game Changer For SVG

Economic citizenship is offered when an individual completes the legal process to acquire
citizenship in a second country on account of the individual’s financial investment into that
country’s economy. St. Vincent and the Grenadines can benefit tremendously from such a
programme. The New Democratic Party will implement the Citizenship by Investment
Programme which will assist to improve the economic situation.

 

The following Caribbean countries have legislation authorizing the procurement of citizenship
after making a substantial investment: Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis,
Dominica and St. Lucia.  Antigua Citizenship by Investment Programme was launched in 2012;
Dominica started their programme in 1993; Grenada commenced theirs in 2013; St. Lucia in
2015; and St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme was launched in 1984. And
all these islands economies are performing well.

Furthermore, the richest country in the world, the United States of America (USA), allows
foreign citizens to obtain green cards. The USA allows foreigners to obtain their green cards
under EB-5 Visa once they meet the requirement of investing $500,000 in a specified
employment area and can create a number of jobs. Although there is an annual cap of 10,000
with regards to the issuing of passports, the EB 5 programme alone has seen over $6.8bn
invested into the US over the past years. It is of interest to note that in recent years the USA
reached its maximum of 10,000 immigrant investor visas before the end of its fiscal year. The
IMF has stated that it is the wealthy, private investors from the emerging market economies that
are driving the trend.

The Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Programmes are appealing as the countries are all
politically stable with Westminster-style democracies and well established legal and regulatory
frameworks. Also, they have stable currencies back by the US dollar, and they are all located
near major markets with daily direct flights to and from Europe, Canada, and the United States.
Furthermore, the process is expedited. Via one of the Caribbean Citizenship by Investment
Programmes, a second passport can be secured in three to four months after undergoing due
diligence background checks and making a minimum investment of US$200,000 not including
government processing and due diligence fees.

St. Kitts and Nevis had the vision of introducing the Citizenship by investment Programme just
over one year after gaining political independence in 1983. The primary objective was to
increase their revenue after attaining independence from Britain. The International Monetary
Fund (IMF) stated that in 2014 the Citizenship by Investment Programme amounted to 14% of
St. Kitts GDP and account for a substantial amount of the government’s revenue in recent years.
This is significant and has a positive impact on the economy and citizens of that country.
Moreover ,St. Kitts has reduced its debt to GDP ratio to 60 % in 2018 from a high of 78% in
2014, and the government has been able to pay its public sector workers double salary for the
month of December for the past three years; a sign of a blooming economy.
Grenada too is benefitting immensely from their citizenship by investment programme. The
island boasts of attracting investors of outstanding calibre and great wealth. For instance in 2017,
the Grenadian government cited fourteen (14) projects directly related to the Citizenship by Investment programme.

The tourism sector has benefited tremendously, with a significant
increase in hotel rooms. In fact, there have been more than ten (10) hotel projects in Grenada as a
result of the citizen by investment programme. St Lucia, Antigua and Dominica are all
benefitting greatly from the programme.
In Grenada, under the CBI Programme there are two options for the grant of citizenship: a
US$200,000 donation to the National Transformation Fund or a US$350,000 investment into an
Approved Project. The prices are for a family of four as Grenada's CBI Programme is family
focused. All persons granted citizenship under the Programme enjoy the same rights as born
Grenadians.

The Programme is run by a Committee of seven persons with an administrative and operations
unit. All approvals for the grant of citizenship are made by the Cabinet. In 2017 Grenada's
Programme was highly successful with a 108% increase in received applications over 2016. 375
applications were received. Total receipts from the Programme were in excess of
EC$140,000,000.
Over the life of the Programme some EC$150,000,000 has been invested into the Approved
Projects which are categorized as real estate in the tourism sector and agribusiness and
aquaculture projects. Through the Approved Projects, thousands of jobs have been created and
opportunities have arisen for service providers and suppliers. The projects provide investment in
key sectors which lead to economic growth and development. Developers of Approved Projects
are both Grenadian and foreign nationals.
 In one year, a total of EC$82,000,000 was deposited into the National Transformation Fund and
used for social programmes, special projects, educational programmes, special needs
programmes, infrastructure and payment of sovereign debt. Grenada has in place rigorous due
diligence and security vetting measures to ensure the strength and integrity of the Programme
which has been lauded by the IMF as being the gold standard for transparency and strong
legislative framework in the region.

The benefits of the programme to St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be incredible. We will see
an increase in foreign direct investment; an increase in government’s revenue and most
importantly it will reduce the tax burden of Vincentians; thus, fuelling economic growth and
development which will ultimately benefit the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Our
leader, Dr. Friday, had this to say on the subject; “I think this is something where we are losing a
lot of opportunities and everyone else is moving ahead when we are falling behind.”
The New Democratic Party continues to express its commitment to implementing the Citizen by
Investment Programme which will bring economic growth and development to St. Vincent and
the Grenadines.

NATIONAL STADIUM DEVELOPMENT: MORE RHETORIC FROM THE ULP

Written By: Tyrone James - General Secretary of the NDP (for the weekly newspapers.)

 

Mr. Editor, I have stated before and I want to reiterate that Ralph Gonsalves and the ULP is all about rhetoric but now I will also add hubris. I do not think there has ever been another political party here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines that has been so impressed with themselves and has promised so much and delivered so little.

 

Recently St. Vincent and the Grenadines won gold medals in the 800m U17 boys and the 4x400m U20 Girls at the 2018 Junior Carifta Games in Bahamas. Without question these athletes performed and represented the country admirably. Understandingly, the country was euphoric and Vincentians basked in a sense of achievement and worth. With their achievement St. Vincent and the Grenadines finished 5^th in the Games, the highest this country has ever achieved since competing in 1972.

 

Mr. Editor, the performance of these athletes and others before them are simply heroic. When modelled in the context of lack of financial and other resources to support track and field and the absence of a track, the extent of the athletes’ performance and achievement takes on new dimensions. It simply means that the Vincentian athletes had to work much harder that the other athletes at the games to achieve. The question could therefore be asked what if they had access to a track?

 

Mr. Editor, in support of my point that the ULP is all about rhetoric and hubris, let us take a look at their history in respect of the National Stadium. In their 2001 Manifesto the ULP promised Vincentians that they will construct a National Stadium. On the heels of this promise the ULP announced in Parliament on the 4th December, 2001 that Ralph Gonsalves had acquired some $4 million dollars from the Libyan Government towards the construction of a National Stadium.

 

On 17th April 2002, the nation was told that the National Stadium at Diamonds was estimated to cost fifteen million dollars ($15M) was reminded that Ralph Gonsalves and the ULP already had in hand four million dollars from Libya.

On February 28th 2005, this Nation was once again told that US$21 million was allocated to the National Stadium. In fact, Clayton Burgin boasted to Senator Leacock that “When we added the US$21 million allocated to the National Stadium Project to these already substantial amounts we must conclude that our administration’s commitment to sports and to youth development by extension is surpassed in the entire history of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”

On 22nd March 2005 the ULP again boasted that “When you talk about sporting facilities throughout the length and breadth of our country to enhance the welfare and wellbeing of our young people, throughout the length and breadth, they criticized us when we seek to build a national sports stadium and the Prime Minister was going to see Gaddafi in Libya, they criticised us for going to Libya, they did not want any part of that, even if we were going and we would get something to help with the sporting facilities there, they did not want any part of that, it was US$1.5 million

 

Additionally, a stadium committee was set up, there was a ground breaking ceremony, architectural designs were presented and an office was establishment at the Administrative Centre at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

 

On 3 April 2018, the Minister of Sports could only comment that the Government has a national stadium on its agenda, while the Minister of Health in an apparent congratulatory letter could only say that one of the main topics of discussion after the Carifta success will no doubt be the putting down of a synthetic track.

In respect of the stadium one local newspaper on Friday 07 October 2016 observed, “Sadly, though, the matter of a national stadium for SVG only takes prominence during the electioneering period, which gives rise to the belief that it is merely a political stunt to gain votes one way or the other.”

 

Today 2018, our athletes are still running on grass. No attempt has been made even to put down a track with the $4 million. No financial support is provided to Team Athletics SVG. Youth unemployment has hit a record 46% and in some locale such as North Windward where Handal Roban our 800m gold medallist originates, a possible 66%.

 

Once again Mr. Editor it is clear that this ULP government has nothing to offer Vincentians but rhetoric and hubris.

It’s Time for Meritocracy in the Public Service

The recent court ruling against the Public Service Commission (PSC) is a damning one for the
PSC and by extension the Unity Labour Party (ULP) government. The court ruled that the PSC
has failed to comply with specific regulations in relation to promotion of several public service
officers.

The judge ordered the PSC to establish and implement forthwith and maintain an efficient,
transparent and effective performance and appraisal promotion regime within the public service
(including robust and functional monitoring and corrective mechanisms) in accordance with the
stipulations of regulation 18, 19, 20, and 27 of the public service regulation.

The following are the regulations: Regulation (18), addresses the advertisement of vacancies;
(19), the principles of selection for promotion, “In considering the eligibility of officers for
promotion, the Commission shall take into account the seniority, experience, educational
qualifications, merit and ability together with relative efficiency of such officers and, in the event
of an equality of efficiency or two or more officers, shall give consideration to the relative
seniority of officers available for promotion to the vacancy.”; (20) mandates the Chief Personnel
Officer to keep up to date seniority lists of all officers holding office in the several grades of the
public service. And (27), “In order to assist the Commission in performing its functions,
Permanent Secretaries and head of departments shall, in each year on or before the last day of
February, furnish to the Chief Personnel Officer, confidential reports in respect of officer serving
in their ministries or departments. Such reports shall relate to the 12 months ended on the
preceding 31 st  December.”

While the members of the PSC are politically appointed, they are expected to function
independently of political interference. But, can we say that of the present PSC? Since the ULP
has been in power, we have heard complaints from public servants of victimization. Based on the
ruling, we can deduce that victimization exists in the public service and therefore, it is
institutionalized in the ULP administration. It is obvious that the PSC has been doing a poor job.
And the New Democratic Party (NDP) supports the call by the Public Service Union for the
members of the PSC to resign.

The ULP administration has been characterized by victimization, lack of transparency and lack
of accountability; and is seen as the most corrupt to govern St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The
NDP will practice good governance and implement its policy of meritocracy.

Meritocracy
A meritocracy is a socio-political system that rewards persons on the basis of their skills, effort
and performances and not by virtue of their affiliation to a political party, religious grouping,
race or social class. Essentially, a meritocracy is based on merit.

The concept of merit is synonymous with ability. Therefore, a person’s ability to perform at the
requisite standard will attract the reward and opportunities associated with his or her position at
the work place and in that person’s field of endeavour. Merit can also be associated with praise
and adulation for the propriety or good consequences of one’s actions. Hence a meritocracy
motivates persons not only to excel at the work place but generally to engage in conduct that can be considered praiseworthy.
Accordingly, public servants can rest assured and feel comforted in the knowledge that upward
mobility and career growth will be based primarily on performance. In such a healthy
environment trust and confidence will be restored and productivity will increase. The application
of meritocratic principles in the public service will have the effect of influencing the private
sector along similar lines. Essentially, persons will work harder to achieve greater rewards and
the country will benefit from the increased goods and services that will be the products of
improved skill and greater effort.

Over the past seventeen years, Vincentians have experienced rampant victimization in the public
service and to a lesser extent in the private sector as well. Many have not been granted
promotion, some have been put into early retirement, others have been transferred to jobs that do
not require their expertise and in some instances those persons were relegated to sitting at desks
with no function to perform and there are those who were deliberately humiliated and harassed
into resigning from their jobs or were unceremoniously fired.

The public sector is plagued with many disgruntled and dissatisfied workers who lack the
motivation and the will power to perform to the best of their abilities due to the unequal and
iniquitous treatment that they are experiencing. The New Democratic Party recognizes that this
form of polarization along party political lines, retards growth. In recognition of the virtues of a
meritocracy the New Democratic Party pledges to all public servants and Vincentians as a whole
that we will provide equal opportunities at the outset to all Vincentians in education, sports,
culture, health, national security and justice, agriculture, tourism, financial services,
manufacturing and services generally. We will not engage in political victimization but we are
strongly of the view that we should ensure that square pegs are not placed in round holes.
Politics is about people, economics is for the people. No matter what is done or not done or how
it is done or not done, it is done for the people with the assistance of the people. We are
cognizant of the fact that our country cannot effectively, efficiently and economically function
only with supporters of the New Democratic Party. Opportunities will be created for all, without
regard to their political affiliation and rewards will be commensurate with effort and
performance – those are the hall marks of a meritocracy.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be a haven for those who wish to excel in their respective
fields of endeavours. Hence, Towards a Meritocracy under NDP prosperity for all ‘ah we’.

Citizenship by Investment Programme for SVG (Part 1)

Economic citizenship is offered when an individual completes the legal process to acquire
citizenship in a second country on account of the individual’s financial investment into that
country’s economy. St. Vincent and the Grenadines can benefit tremendously from such a
programme. The New Democratic Party will implement the Citizenship by Investment
Programme.
Among the countries which have legislation authorizing the procurement of citizenship after
making a substantial investment are: Austria, Cyprus, Malta, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St.
Kitts and Nevis, Dominica and St. Lucia; of which five of the Citizenship by Investment
Programmes are in the Caribbean. Furthermore, foreign investors’ residence programmes have
long existed in the U.K, Portugal, Spain and Greece. Most of the EU countries offer in one form
or another some form of investment residency or citizenship programmes. In fact, more than
twenty five countries around the world are offering some form of investment citizenship
programme.
The richest country in the world, the United States of America (USA), allows foreign citizens to
obtain green cards. The USA allows foreigners to obtain their green cards under EB-5 Visa once
they meet the requirement of investing $500,000 in a specified employment area and can create a
number of jobs. Although there is an annual cap of 10,000 with regards to the issuing of
passports, the EB 5 programme alone has seen over $6.8bn invested into the US over the past
years. It is of interest to note that in recent years the USA reached its maximum of 10,000
immigrant investor visas before the end of its fiscal year. The IMF has stated that it is the
wealthy, private investors from the emerging market economies that are driving the trend.
Some countries do not offer citizenship for sale per se but offer various options to consider for
residency and citizenship. Not every country and programme is the same. For instance, countries
such as Australia, Belgium, Portugal, U.K, Singapore and Spain do offer programmes with a
difference. In Portugal for instance, foreign investors who spend 500,000 Euros on a property
are allowed the privilege or right to live in Portugal under what the government refers to as a
‘Golden Visa’ programme. The benefits have been tremendous since its inception in 2012. The
Portuguese Government announced in March of 2017, that it has earned more than 440 million
Euros from the Programme to date.
An English firm of advisors on citizenship, which advised their clients on what they consider the
most suitable places to invest their money has estimated that every year thousands of people
spent collectively two billion United States dollars to obtain a second or even a third passport to
their collection. Thus business executives and other wealthy individuals have taken the
opportunity to buy their citizenship. As the advisors stated; just like you diversify an investment
portfolio, you want to diversify your passport. One may go on to say that the idea of having a
second citizenship is adhering to the fundamental investment principle of not putting all your
eggs in one bucket. In recent years the citizen by investment programme has become extremely
popular with citizens from China, Russia and people from the Middle East.
The issue of citizenship is controversial as some argue that a passport should never be sold, it
should not carry a price tag, it should only be granted through birth or more traditional
immigration. Others are against the programme due to the potential for abuse from lack of

transparency and the fact that many, especially those in the Caribbean do not have a residency
requirement thus there is often no long-term connection by the applicants to the country. Others
are also worried about the negative repercussions from granting a passport to an applicant who
may be laundering money or worse yet turns out to be a terrorist.
Despite these objections, the number of Citizenship by Investment Programme is increasing as
they help to increase the flow of Foreign Direct Investment and in term fuel growth in the
economy. For example, during 2014 fiscal year, the government of St Kitts & Nevis which has
the oldest Citizenship by Investment Programme generated EC$767.9million in revenue. Fifty
percent, EC$383.7million was derived from taxes and the rest, EC $384.2million non-tax
revenue was generated from fees from the Citizenship by Investment Programme.
Is this growth in Foreign Direct Investment for St Kitts and Nevis and the rest of the Citizenship
by Investment Programmes sustainable despite the objections? According to
caribbeancompany.com, only 15% of the world’s population hold citizenship from leading
countries like Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and those in the
European Union. These Western and European countries despite their challenges are attractive to
the global elite from the remaining 85% born in such countries like China, Russia, India, and
Lebanon because they are wealthy, politically secure and provide easier access to other parts the
world. For example, Malta has a Citizenship by Investment Program which provides an
opportunity to work and live in Malta plus the other European Union countries. A Maltese
passport also provides visa-free travel to Canada, China, and the United States. That is not the
case for someone who carries a Chinese or Russian passport.
To support the program, senior executives at Henley & Partners who recently hosted the 10th
Global Residence and Citizenship Conference stated that recent unsettling world events such as
the attempted Turkish coup, French terror attacks, Brexit and now the Trump presidency has
increased interest from high net worth individuals for alternative residence and citizenship. Not
just from the global elite in countries like China and Russia but also from the United Kingdom
and the United States.
The New Democratic Party continues to express its commitment to implement the Citizenship by
Investment Programme which will bring tremendous economic growth and development to St.
Vincent and the Grenadines.

Let Us Work Together and Make Things Better

Fellow Vincentians and friends, let us all celebrate Christmas as we have
done over the years, as a special time of joy and hope. We must be thankful for our
blessings and rejoice in the hope that the season brings.

All around our beautiful country, friends and neighbors prepare in various
ways for the festive season. In our schools and churches, we portray in skits and
dances the story of the birth of Christ, and choirs sing out Joy to the world, the
Lord has Come! We do these things as remember why we celebrate and seek
comfort in all the traditions and practices we love so much about this blessed
season. Let the Christmas lights that brighten our communities also lift our spirits
and remind us how beautiful we are as God’s creation.

When we rise on Christmas morning, I trust it will be with a spirit of
thanksgiving and with a willingness to share and to be generous with one another.
Some of us will have more gifts than others to open, more food to eat and more
beverage to drink. Be willing to share with those who have little. There are many
people in our country who may feel that there is little to celebrate, because they
have struggled so hard in their daily lives to make ends meet. Many of us have had
personal setbacks and losses this year. In my many conversations with people all
over the country, I heard stories of hardship and pain. I heard from parents who
have struggled financially to send their children to school; from business owners
who wondered where their paying customers have gone; from farmers who
continued to plant and reap but, despite the sweat of their brow, could hardly eat
bread. In our politics, we were disappointed that the trial of the election petitions
did not occur. But, we continue to work for and hope that, as the Court has said, it
will take place early in the New Year.

Nevertheless, whatever we have, we must thank God for sparing our lives
throughout the year and continue to believe in His promise that no matter how
difficult things may get, if we ask, he will not fail us. Let us choose a positive way
to go forward. Regard setbacks and obstacles, not as things that halt our progress,
but merely tests of our strength and God-given abilities. This is as true for each
person as it is for us collectively as a nation. With such resolve, we cannot fail.
It is only by believing in ourselves and in working together that we can
move ahead as a country. Good leadership will set the course, but we must all play
a part in building a strong economy that creates jobs for our people. We must
acknowledge the struggle of our young people, who have completed school and are
unable to find employment. There is risk in this, as the devil too often finds work
for idle hands. We cannot continue suffer the consequences of rising violent crime
and we should not accept as normal or inevitable the loss of our young people to
the dark forces that threaten our nation. It is necessary to create the conditions to
engage our people’s skills and talents in constructive and productive ways to
improve their lives and promote the development of our country. Let us demand of
our leaders, especially those who hold the reins of government, that we do better in
2019 and beyond!

I pray that we will have a happy and safe Christmas Season. Even at the
height of enjoyment, let us try to avoid excesses. Also, be good stewards and look
after our communities, our country and our planet.
Despite our challenges, our faith and diligent effort will see us through and
by the grace of God, we will have a brighter future.

 

 

Opinion piece Tourism – AIA Post Launch

Under the ULP administration, for sixteen years, tourism in SVG has declined due to:

Independence Address by Dr. Godwin Friday

Fellow Vincentians, we thank God for watching over our nation.

 

Thirty-nine years ago, when Robert Milton Cato and other leaders took us into political independence, we celebrated joyously and looked to the future with confidence and optimism. Our founders envisioned better days for our people and hoped that, by now, we would be living their dream of a prosperous, free and safe SVG. For some, especially those closely connected with the government, the dream of prosperity may have come true, as they have profited from preferential access, nepotism and political favouritism. But for most Vincentians, it has been illusive: pursued (as Bob Marley suggests) but not attained. However, we persevere. My dear people, we cannot speak about political independence without being honest with ourselves. While we seek to build our country and realize the dreams of our founders, we must always acknowledge our strengths and our weaknesses. Our greatest strength as we go forward is in trusting God. That truth is enshrined in our national anthem in the words: “Our faith will see us through”. We must always believe that. The hubris of power and misguided ambition of political leaders must not blind us to this truth. You must insist that our leaders--political and otherwise-- humble themselves before God and the people, for this will foster compassion and understanding, and will help us find the right way forward. More than ever, we need a new approach in our country. Our problems are many and our challenges great. In recent times, we have suffered through economic stagnation and decline. Once lucrative commodities such as bananas and arrowroot remain in our fields, unsold. For farmers who have given up cultivation altogether, they are but a fading memory of bygone days when “green gold” dominated our economy and landscape. As a result, joblessness and underemployment have increased. This has hit our young people hardest. After they and their parents have sacrificed for higher education that promised worthwhile careers and productive lives, the poor economy and job scarcity have dimmed their hopes and
tarnished their dreams. Long-established businesses are struggling or have closed. Taxes such as VAT continue to go up, increasing the burden on businesses and ordinary people. The high cost of electricity and of operating a motor vehicle drive people to despair. To make matters worse, frequent killings and other brazen acts of violence and crime have galvanized the nation as never before. When we embraced nationhood, our founders did not foresee that 39 years later, ordinary people would live in constant fear of crime and be scared to leave their homes after dark. Yet, like Emperor Nero of old, the Government “fiddles while Rome burns”. Further, instead of garnering praise for crimefighting success, our police, even at the highest levels, are portrayed in negative headlines that undermine public confidence in them.

Despite our challenges and setbacks, we must continue to embrace the promises and possibilities of nationhood and recommit ourselves to making them come true. Our country’s small size poses challenges for development. However, it is not an insurmountable obstacle, for it also means that if we get things right, we can turn our economy and country around relatively quickly and race towards prosperity. To succeed, we must embrace a new way forward. Our politics must be less of style and more of substance. Our country must not be a mere stage upon which a political leader might
strut about like a Colossus. The interests of the people must be given priority. Those interests must guide and determine what our political leaders and government do. Also, in all things and at all times, Government must be accountable to the people. Accountability for the use of public funds should be seen by all as a legal, political and moral requirement that must be fulfilled by those in the executive arm of government, with primary responsibility resting upon the Minister of Finance. The people have a right to expect it and, when—as now-- it is not
given, we must demand it with ever-increasing voice. We are a beautiful country and blessed nation. Our people are our best resource and together we can build a better life for ourselves and future generations. To succeed, however, we must have all hands on deck. Fellow Vincentians living and toiling abroad, in far off places like London, New York, Miami, Toronto and Montreal, you must you join with us at home in
common cause to make SVG better. Join to invest in local businesses and to find markets in your adopted countries for our products. Also, continue to contribute materially to your relatives and your favourite causes back home. Geography may separate us, but history unites us. Our deep and abiding love of our country binds us together and, working together, we will succeed. Moreover, in keeping with our Christian tradition, we must agree and confirm that what we build together, we will share together. For that is our way: one nation, one people, one Vincy.

May God continue to watch over and bless us and our nation