Press Statement by the Leaders of the Opposition of the OECS

[L-R] Allen Chastanet, Dr. Keith Mitchell, Mark Brantley, Jamale Pringle — [L-R] Allen Chastanet, Dr. Keith Mitchell, Mark Brantley & Jamale Pringle

We, the undersigned Leaders of the Opposition of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) would like to reiterate our support for the Citizen Investment Programs (CIP) across the region. We acknowledge the meaningful contribution that the Citizenship by Investment Programmes (CIP) have made and continue to make to the economic strength and resilience of our respective economies.

The region and the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), in particular, have been hard pressed to find sufficient funding to build and sustain economic resilience. The CIP programs have been instrumental in providing critical resources for budgetary support, capital programs, investment and infrastructure improvement, especially at a time when external shocks have adversely affected us such as climate change, global wars, supply chain disruptions and global recessions.

We recognize that our CIP programs also benefit from the mutual trust established between our region and key international partners, including CARICOM, the European Union, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries that grant us visa-free access. We acknowledge the importance of this trust and the shared responsibility it entails. We understand that maintaining the integrity of our borders is as crucial as safeguarding theirs.

In light of recent developments surrounding our CIP programs and the increased international scrutiny thereof, we express our strong support for the collective call for all participating countries to sign and enforce the Memorandum of Agreement and to adhere to one common standard, overseen by an independent regulatory authority, to ensure the continued success and credibility of our programs.