PM warns changes to citizenship programmes could hit some Caribbean states harder

Prime Minister Gaston Browne says international actions affecting Citizenship by Investment Programmes (CIP) could have far more severe consequences for some Caribbean countries than for Antigua and Barbuda, warning that abrupt disruption could destabilise economies that depend heavily on the programme.

Speaking on Pointe FM’s Browne and Browne Show on Saturday, Browne said Antigua and Barbuda uses CIP as one source of revenue, but is not as reliant on it as other states in the region.

“For some countries, this programme is existential,” Browne said. “It represents a much larger percentage of their revenues than it does for Antigua and Barbuda.”

Browne pointed to countries such as Dominica, which he said would be more exposed to external shocks if citizenship programmes were curtailed or abruptly restricted.

“If you disrupt these programmes without a proper transition, you could collapse economies — especially in countries that depend on them far more heavily,” he said.

The prime minister said this was why Antigua and Barbuda has consistently advocated for reform and regulation of CIP rather than its elimination, arguing that cooperation with international partners is essential.

“We have been at the forefront of strengthening and reforming the programme,” Browne said, adding that Antigua and Barbuda has pushed for regional coordination to prevent what he described as a “race to the bottom.”

Browne said international partners must take into account the differing levels of dependence across the region, warning that one-size-fits-all approaches could have unintended and damaging consequences for smaller, more vulnerable economies.

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