By Allan Leach
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is at a critical crossroad. Our cost of living has surged exponentially since COVID-19, while debt servicing gobbles up 93¢ of every dollar the government earns. We keep borrowing, taxes climb, and real wages fall. Even as salaries tick upward, Pay As You Earn- PAYE (Income tax), National Insurance Service (NIS) and Value Added Tax (VAT) erode any benefit -leaving families squeezed and dreams deferred. Meanwhile, neighbouring OECS countries like Grenada, Dominica and St. Kitts & Nevis have quietly tapped a tool that transforms their fortunes: Citizenship by Investment (CBI). Year after year, hundreds of millions in contributions have helped finance roads, schools, hospitals and climate-resilience projects – without adding to national debt. CBI is a programme offered by some countries that allows foreign nationals to acquire citizenship in exchange for a significant financial contribution to the country’s economy. This contribution often takes the form of a donation to a government development fund, an investment in real estate or approved businesses, or a contribution to specific public projects such as infrastructure, health, education, or climate resilience.
It’s time we ask ourselves: Why not St. Vincent?
Weighing the Voices – The CBI debate has inspired spirited opinions across our islands:
Marlon Bute (entrepreneur): Bute emphasizes the ground-level impact of CBI on local businesses. He argues that an annual infusion of CBI revenue could stimulate consumer spending, invigorate the construction and renovation sector, and expand employment. His “from-the-trades” outlook underscores that every dollar earned and spent in St. Vincent remains in St. Vincent, creating a powerful multiplier effect
Guevara Leacock (barrister-at-law): Leacock provides a policy-oriented analysis, arguing that a carefully tailored CBI programme could diversify our economy, reduce borrowing, and fund critical infrastructure. He points to the experiences of Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada, where CBI contributions have represented significant shares of GDP and underpinned roads, schools, and climate-resilience projects.
Kenneil Bess (activist): Bess issues what could be considered as a moral and sovereign objection, warning that “selling citizenship” devalues our national identity, risks security breaches, and breeds corruption. He frames CBI as an existential threat to the “soul” of our nation and urges rejection to preserve the sanctity of Vincentian birthright. Afterall, he is right that we must guard our birthright carefully!
Luke Browne (legal scholar/former minister): Browne mounts what he wishes to be interpreted as a principled, values-based critique, asserting that citizenship must rest on a “genuine connection” rather than financial contribution alone. He highlights that SVG has achieved strong growth and attracted investment without CBI and cautions that established pathways already exist for investors who commit to our country.
Each perspective has merit. However, the reality is stark: our economy needs innovative additional revenue streams. Season-driven tourism alone cannot carry us forward.
How CBI Can Work for Us
Fiscal Relief and Infrastructure Funding – Like Dominica (where CBI revenues account for over 20% of GDP) and St. Kitts & Nevis (where CBI funded major hospital and airport upgrades), SVG can use CBI to reduce debt, invest in critical infrastructure, and free up budgetary space for public services. Here are a few actual examples of how CBI revenues have been used to deliver fiscal relief and fund vital infrastructure in the countries mentioned:
Dominica’s Hurricane Recovery
After Hurricane Maria struck in 2017, Dominica tapped CBI funds to rebuild dozens of schools and community centres in record time. For example, the Woodford Hill Primary School was reconstructed with new classrooms, sanitation blocks and a solar-powered water system – all financed through CBI contribution, allowing students to return to a safe learning environment within months instead of years.
St. Kitts & Nevis’ Hospital Expansion
In St. Kitts, CBI revenues underwrote a major upgrade to the Joseph N. France General Hospital. A new two-storey wing, complete with modern operating theatres, an expanded emergency department, and an intensive care unit was added without increasing public debt. This investment not only improved healthcare access for local residents but also attracted regional medical training programmes, boosting both health outcomes and professional opportunities.
Grenada’s Airport and Road Improvements
Grenada used CBI proceeds to fund the expansion of Maurice Bishop International Airport, including a new arrivals terminal and extended runway lighting, significantly increasing passenger capacity and safety. At the same time, CBI-backed projects repaved and widened the Grand Anse Beach access road, reducing travel times for tourists and fishermen alike—and providing local masons and engineers with steady work during the construction phase.
Each of these examples shows how a well-managed CBI programme can free up budgetary headroom, reduce debt service, and deliver tangible improvements—schools, hospitals, airports and roads – that directly benefit communities. St. Vincent and the Grenadines could pursue similar projects (for instance, expanding the Argyle International Airport apron, refurbishing the Georgetown and Kingstown Hospitals or upgrading rural feeder roads) to unlock fiscal relief and spur further economic growth.
Economic Diversification and Job Creation – A robust CBI scheme with real-estate and development components can stimulate the construction sector, as seen in Grenada, creating both direct jobs (builders, electricians, masons) and indirect opportunities (suppliers, transporters).
Stabilize Tourism revenues – By pairing CBI revenues with strategic tourism investments—marinas, eco-lodges, and cultural heritage sites—SVG could erase seasonality, offering year-round attractions for both CBI investors and conventional visitors. Here are two examples of how pairing CBI revenues with strategic domestic-tourism investments has helped neighbouring islands, and could resonate equally well here in SVG:
Cabrits Marina – In Portsmouth, Dominica, CBI proceeds funded the construction of Cabrits Marina—a US $75 million, world-class yachting facility that includes berths for up to 300 vessels, a duty-free shopping village, and restaurants.
Domestic Impact: Local boat owners and day-trippers now enjoy regular weekend access to safe moorings, marine-based festivals, and waterfront dining, which previously were only available abroad. This has driven up domestic boat-rental revenues by an estimated 40% during what used to be the off-peak (“rainy”) season.
Secret Bay Eco-Lodge, Dominica – Secret Bay, consistently ranked as the Caribbean’s top resort, was developed using CBI investments. Its eco-villas are built into the rainforest canopy, with locally sourced materials and staff drawn entirely from surrounding communities.
Domestic Impact: Beyond catering to high-net-worth investors, Secret Bay launched a “Local Escapes” programme offering discounted weekend packages to Dominican residents. As a result, internal bookings now account for roughly 25% of overall occupancy – even in the traditional low season – providing stable year-round work for guides, chefs, and artisans.
Skills Development and Local Enterprise – Allocating a portion of CBI funds to vocational training (hospitality, construction trades, agro-processing) ensures that Vincentians gain the capabilities needed to manage and sustain new projects, reversing brain-drain trends. To effectively implement Skills Development and Local Enterprise, SVG would need to both expand current educational infrastructure and create new, specialised institutions tailored to practical and technical training. Here are two recommendations that show how this can be done:
1. Upgrade and Expand the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) System similar to Dominica State College’s TVET Centre.
Dominica used CBI revenue to strengthen its vocational and technical training sector by enhancing facilities and programmes at Dominica State College. The college now offers short-term certifications and diplomas in areas like hospitality, carpentry, culinary arts, and electrical installation.
Impact: Local youth and returning Dominicans can now gain industry-recognised skills without leaving the island. This has helped reduce youth unemployment and meet labour demands created by tourism and construction booms funded by CBI investments.
How can SVG adapt? We could channel CBI funds into expanding existing institutions like the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC) or the Technical College. New satellite campuses or evening programmes in hospitality and agro-processing could be added in rural areas like Georgetown or Barrouallie to ensure access for all.
2. Establish a National Polytechnic Institute based on the Antigua and Barbuda Institute of Continuing Education (ABICE)
Antigua established ABICE to deliver hands-on skills training in trades such as air conditioning and refrigeration, automotive repair, and construction. It’s funded in part by national development initiatives, including tourism revenue.
Impact: The institute has trained thousands of young Antiguans for immediate employment in CBI-linked infrastructure projects and tourism development, directly reducing the need for foreign labour.
How can SVG adapt: We could create a Vincentian Institute of Applied Skills and Innovation—a centralised polytechnic focused on high-demand sectors like green construction, sustainable agriculture, agro-processing, and tourism services. This institution could operate in partnership with the private sector and include job-placement pipelines with CBI-funded resorts, marinas, and agri-parks.
Learning from Our Neighbours
Dominica has strategically invested CBI funds to enhance climate resilience, particularly in flood-prone areas. Notably, the government allocated EC$10 million towards constructing hurricane-resistant homes in communities such as Sineku, Bataca, Touna, and Concord. These structures are designed to withstand extreme weather events, providing safer living conditions for residents.
Additionally, the implementation of Community Early Warning Systems (CEWS) in areas like Marigot has been instrumental in disaster preparedness. These systems, developed with community involvement, have proven effective in mitigating the impacts of natural hazards, such as facilitating timely evacuations during heavy rainfall events.
Grenada is leveraging CBI funds to enhance its agro-industrial sector, focusing on value addition for key exports like nutmeg and cocoa. The government has proposed halting the export of raw nutmeg and chocolate to prioritize local processing. This initiative aims to increase domestic production of value-added products such as nutmeg oil and cocoa-based goods, thereby boosting the local economy and creating employment opportunities.
Furthermore, investments in agro-logistics infrastructure are being made to improve the efficiency of nutmeg and cocoa exports. Enhancements in processing and transportation facilities are expected to strengthen Grenada’s position in the global spice market.
Maintaining Sovereignty, Standards and trust – SVG already possesses the legal authority to grant citizenship, we do issue alien land holders licenses, and it has been alleged that some are simply issued passports through various connections; a transparent CBI structure with rigorous due diligence and monitored by our FSA, parliamentary oversight, and public reporting can uphold national values and security. Furthermore, according to the ECCB website, Caribbean countries offering Citizenship by Investment Programmes (CIP/CBI) have advanced efforts to establish a regional regulator by appointing an Interim Regulatory Commission (IRC). This move aligns with a key provision of the March 2024 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). Once formalised through legislation in participating nations, the regional regulator will set standards, oversee the programmes based on international best practices, and monitor compliance.
Embracing Risk, Securing Reward
In 2023, the Dominican government revoked the citizenship of 260 individuals for providing false information on their applications. This was a crucial measure by the government to uphold the integrity of the citizenship application process and ensure that only those meeting the necessary requirements are granted citizenship. Of course, like any other programme, there are risks, but this should not deter us. If we are not willing to take risks, we will never succeed. One thing that is true is that it is better to try and fail than to succeed at doing nothing. Today, CBI countries like Domica and Grenada strives successfully amidst disasters and global crisis.
A smart CBI plan is not a blind gamble; it sets clear investment targets, requires local-content commitments, and publishes regular audits so every Vincentian could see how the money is spent. A smart CBI plan partners with regional and international compliance experts to vet applicants and keep our passport strong.
NDP is on the right track
When CBI is branded as “selling passports” Vincentians fail to see that the region is uniting to make the programme successful for participating countries, and they fail to see that the NDP plan is quite feasible. With this program, the NDP clearly means business in reducing youth unemployment and cost of living among other things. It is not a fly by night program or something far-fetched, our own neighbouring countries are at this very instant benefiting handsomely from it.
A Call to Action
We need new methods of gaining and increasing revenue. We need jobs. We need sustainable growth. A carefully crafted CBI programme offers a pathway to break the cycle of borrowing, endless taxation and inadequate incomes. Let us build on the successes of our OECS neighbours. Let us protect our identity with rigorous oversight. Let us seize the opportunity to transform our economy, our communities, and our future.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines deserve a bountiful future.