By: Yves R. Ephraim

Let us face it, Antigua and Barbuda’s Citizenship by Investment Program is on life-support and from what I perceive, will not survive any attempt to resuscitate it.

The Citizenship-by-Investment-like programmes have historically been used for the purpose of alluring the best world-wide talent to your country so as to give your country an international advantage.

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with that practice in principle.

In any properly governed country, the leaders know that having uniquely skilled, well trained, and internationally extraordinary citizens is one of the secrets to national success.

Developed countries have always maintained options to fast-track immigrants to citizenship when those immigrants are perceived as immensely valuable to their country. Particularly when these same immigrants possess talents that could provide a competitive advantage to their country.

The advantage could be the wealth the immigrant brings; their extraordinary ability; their intellectual know-how; or their importance to national security.

For example, the United States has its EB-1 category of green cards which are reserved for individuals who: a) possess extraordinary abilities; b) are outstanding professors or researchers; or c) are multinational executives/managers.

Very recently the Trump administration introduced its “Golden Card”, which targets wealthy immigrants from around the world who want to be fast-tracked to US citizenship by paying one million US dollars to the US government. This is very similar to our own CBI programme.

Whereas I am not generally against limited use of citizenship programs like the ones I described above, in the case of Antigua and Barbuda, our abuse of such a program has disintegrated into a mere passport mill, consequently denigrating the image of our nation with very little to show.

We have turned Antiguan and Barbudan citizenship into a declining marketable commodity.

Our abuse of the CBI program has put our nation on a collision course with the developed nations, specifically the USA and the EU.

The wide access to countries that was the staple of all Antiguans and Barbudans is under threat. The very thing that made our citizenship valuable is now being lost.

CBI is no longer sustainable. This experiment is over!

For too long the Antigua and Barbuda government has relied on outsiders to build this country to the disadvantage of its own born citizens. The CBI programme being one of such avenues.

The time has come where Antiguans and Barbudans need to rise up and take back our country and start architecting it the way we have dreamed.

We need to take back our country from:

1. The wonton confiscation and sell off of Barbudan lands;

2. The neglect that left us in a state where we cannot feed ourselves;

3. The deliberate immigration policy that preclude born-Antiguans and Barbudans from influencing the outcome of the electoral process.

4. The deliberate policy to erase our afro-centric identity and replacing it with a Latin American identity.

5. The willful conversion into a vassal state that is used as a dumping ground for refugees.

6. Going down the path of serfdom

The way we can take back our country is through an initiative that I call “Citizens for Investment” or CFI.

I envision that interested Antiguans and Barbudans, both at home and abroad would form investment instruments for the purpose of acquiring property in Antigua and Barbuda.

There are two types of investment instruments:

A. Funding Pool whose aim is to purchase lands in Antigua and Barbuda for development projects;

B. Land Pool whose aims is to pool current Antigua and Barbuda land owners in a manner similar to the Syndicate Estates for the purpose of property development projects;

Let me go into more detail.

FUNDING POOL

In the funding pool arrangement, individual Antiguan and Barbudans all over the world would be allowed to invest at least US$10,000.00 into this fund. We could strive for an initial capital of US$10M. The purpose of this fund would be to purchase prime Antigua and Barbuda land. These acquired lands would be developed for commercial use: business complexes; hotel properties which can be leased; etc.

LAND POOL

In the land pool arrangement, Antiguans and Barbudans who currently have title to land that have been left derelict could contribute this land to a land pool that will be developed for housing or agricultural projects. At no point will the land owner forfeit title to their property. This arrangement would be something following the model of the Syndicate Estates.

Both funds will be managed by a full time professional and competent team that will provide annual reports and will be responsible for paying out annual dividends.

ADVANTAGES

The CFI program provides the following advantages:

1. Existing Antigua and Barbuda associations around the world can participate without pulling up their stakes from where they currently reside.

2. It provides a means for Antiguans and Barbudans to own or maintain their ownership in lands before the lands are all given away or confiscated.

3. The land pooling arrangement is ideal for Barbudans. If they do get their 1 acre as promised, they can then pool their lands into one management company and then lease those lands to those who would pump the “steroids”.

4. It is our last attempt to counter our government’s irresponsible land giveaway, making sure that we have a country that we can claim.

5. The CFI program is open only to Antiguan and Barbudans and their offspring.

6. This will allow Antiguan and Barbudans to profit from tourism at a level never seen before.

The CFI programme must be privately run and totally independent of the government of Antigua and Barbuda. This is very important.

If the Antigua and Barbuda government is really serious with its talk of empowering Antiguans and Barbudans, then we will see if it is willing to adopt a policy to automatically offer concessions to the CFI program that is similar to its most favourable investors.

Instead of sitting back and throwing up your hands in despair, here is something that we can all do to take control.

The beauty about this program, is that Antiguans and Barbudans living abroad can participate without having to return to Antigua and Barbuda.

I am appealing to those in the diaspora to organize and see how you can expand on my CFI idea and give it life. I believe that coming together in such a practical way can immediately change the trajectory of Antigua and Barbuda.

I look forward to the feedback from Antiguans and Barbudans who have the expertise to help build CFI.

Let us take back control of our country.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: OPINION: Time for a"Citizens for Investment" Progamme.