NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (March 07, 2022) – Premier Hon. Mark Brantley continues to lobby passionately for Nevis getting its fair share of the revenue from the St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship By Investment (CBI) Program.
During a recent press conference, the Premier expressed his dissatisfaction with the disproportionate allocation of CBI monies between the two islands. He said Nevis continues to be grossly shortchanged in the existing revenue sharing arrangement.
“In 2021 when the country and the world were still in the grips of this pandemic, that St. Kitts and Nevis had a windfall insofar as CBI was concerned and we would have earned north of $500 million from CBI. It is a fact that Nevis got no more than it always got. So Nevis got the same amount from the proceeds of the CBI in 2019, in 2020, in 2021, and that is $3.75 million per month.
“It is a matter that I’ve raised with the Honourable Prime Minister because for me and the island of Nevis it is unacceptable. I’ve said this cannot be how the country is going to function going forward, that out of I believe $588 million, Nevis got $45 million,” he said.
Pointing out that what is apportioned to Nevis does not represent a fair allocation of this national resource, which is the proceeds from the CBI industry, the Premier said he continues to raise the matter with Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris.
“I’m very firm about that, that the people of Nevis cannot be short changed in terms of the sharing on the CBI program. When good comes, all the country must share in the good and when bad comes we know all of the country will share in the bad.
“And especially during COVID when we were called upon to spend money we didn’t have, when we were called upon to borrow and beg to survive here on the island of Nevis, I think it is especially galling that the country had a windfall and we hear talk about surplus and how things are great but at the end of the day the island of Nevis has got not one penny more than it would have received, and so I’ve raised that matter formally with the Honourable Prime Minister to say that that is unacceptable.”
Mr. Brantley is hopeful that there will be redress on the matter very shortly. He said he looks forward in the interest of good governance and in the interest of treating all the people of the country as if they matter, to the resolution of the longstanding issue
He reminded that all citizens of this country are imbued with all the rights and are entitled to all the fruits of the country’s citizenship.
Premier Brantley, who has held the position of Nevis getting its fair share of the CBI proceeds even prior to taking up government office, opined that all right-thinking members of the Kittitian and Nevisian community should want to see the equal and equitable sharing of the national resources since both islands share in any difficulties the country faces.
“As the Premier of Nevis I’m not going to relent or resile from that position, that the people of Nevis must, must get their fair share of benefits from these types of initiatives that are national in nature. I was of that view in Opposition and I’m of that view in government. The country needs to confront the situation where resources are lopsidedly allocated and we have to confront the situation where the people of Nevis have access on an equitable basis to the resources that flow into the country from national efforts.
“Our passports say St. Christopher and Nevis. It cannot be that Nevis continues to get the crumbs from the table. We have to do better and that is something that I am adamant about and something I will not resile from.”
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