On 20. June, Reach Immigration attended the 4th annual Caribbean Investment Summit in Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts and Nevis after it was previously held in Antigua and Barbuda for two years. The summit coincided with the 35th year anniversary of St. Kitts and Nevis’s pioneering citizenship by investment program, which has since been adopted by more than 24 nations.
The two-day program was held under the theme of 35 Years of CBI: The Caribbean Advantage, which attracted more than 400 delegates from all around the world. The 2019 summit speakers and panelists included the Prime Ministers of St.Kitts and Nevis, as well as the heads of the Citizenship by Investment Unit.
The summit kicked off with a speech from St. Kitts and Nevis’s Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, focusing on the positive impact of the investments through the CBI program on many sectors in the region, including job creation, construction, hotel stock, and many more, driving a huge economic growth in the region.
The Prime Minister also presented the argument for the EU concerning tax evasion and linking them to CBI programs as he stressed that there is no substantial link between the two. He also emphasized on how St. Kitts and Nevis will be a reliable international partner and the continuance of working with important stakeholders such as the USA, Canada, the EU, and every other entity that could assist in strengthening the credibility and reliability of the CBI program.
At the end of his speech, the Prime Minister stated that he remains confident that “this new wave of vision, innovation, and leadership will enable our region, small as we are, to carry this booming industry to even greater success.”
The summit also included a panel discussion among the Heads of the Citizenship by Investment Unit, which included Mr. Emmanuel Nathan for Dominica, Mrs. Charmaine Donovan for Antigua and Barbuda, Mr. Les Khan for St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr. Thomas Anthony for Grenada, and Mr. Nestor Alfred for St. Lucia. The panel’s open discussion mainly focused on Due Diligence and the sustainability of the CBI programs.