Vital says DFP will make CBI great again

Vital said the DFP will work towards reversing the damage done to the CBI Program

The leader of the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), Kent Vital, has said his party will take measures to make the Citizenship By Investment (CBI) Program noble and great again.

Vital made the remarks at a press conference held at the Garraway Hotel recently.

 “As a responsible political party, we will give consideration to several important efforts in that regard. To start with, we will execute effort to make the Citizenship By Investment Program noble and great again,” he said. “After all it was the Dominica Freedom Party that introduced the program into Dominica and if it is wrecked before we get the opportunity to make it noble again, it will be due to the current administration’s poor record on managing the program.”

Vital said the DFP will work towards reversing the damage done to the CBI Program and repairing the country’s reputation and will engage in discussions with international partners in order to make the program “better and more competitive.”

The new DFP boss promised that his party will manage the CBI Program to protect the interest of the country’s citizens, both citizens by birth and naturalized citizens.

“In so doing we will be open and transparent at all times and we will make sure that there is no chance that our normal citizens will be overridden by our economic citizens,” he noted.

Vital, an economist with broad regional experience, declared that his party will not sit by and depend on the CBI Program as the only hope.

“That sort of dependence is really pathetic and leaves one to question whether the current administration is sufficiently creative to take this country forward in a sustainable manner,” he argued.

 He suggested that revenue from the CBI Program should be used to reduce debt, to build fiscal reserves and to undertake critical capital investment projects, “that will be able to give us a jump-start.”

 He said his party will, therefore, ensure that the country’s fiscal operations are well managed and that, “we implement creative financing options.”

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59 Comments

  1. David
    September 5, 2017

    Congratulations to someone so dear to me who has recently been granted Dominican citizenship through the CBI program. The required documentation was a daunting task. We have been checked on by professionals. The whole application process was of international standards and first class. Folks, your new fellow citizen will love your country, appreciate the warmth and smiles of the people, and admire the natural beauty of the island. We would love to join your music festivals and try your carribean food when there is the opportunity. Prime Minister Skerrit, thank you very much indeed, and we hope we can shake your hands one day!

  2. David
    September 5, 2017

    Congratulations to someone so dear to me who has recently been granted Dominican citizenship through the CBI program. We have been checked on. The required documentation was daunting. The whole CBI application process was of international standards and first class. Folks, you`ve got a new fellow citizen who will love your country, appreciate the warmth and smiles of her fellow citizens, and admire the natural beauty of the island. We would love to join your music festivals and try your Carribean cuisine when there is the opportunity. Prime Minister Skerrit, thank you very much indeed, and we hope we can shake your hands one day!

  3. Let The Truth Be Known
    September 4, 2017

    As the saying, “A new broom sweeps clean.” Too clean and will clean out everything in its path for a short while.

  4. Dominican for LIFE
    September 4, 2017

    I do not believe it is fair for one to attack the DFP leader on using the words great again. The truth is the DFP started that Investment By Citizenship program and it ran well under the DFP. Then the UWP came and changed it which created a bad name for Dominica and now the DLP created the funeral and burial of Dominica’s good name.

    I believe Mr. Vital is the most qualify candidate for Pm in Dominica, if you compare the DLP leader, the UWP leader and Mr. Vital side by side.
    I am just smelling jealously from the supporters of the UWP and DLP. Kent I will leave the DLP in a hurry to support you because I cannot trust the UWP.

    • Be Good
      September 5, 2017

      stop right there!

  5. Dominican Passports
    September 4, 2017

    Another Linton in the ring :lol:

  6. Anonymous
    September 4, 2017

    I think it’s a bit surprising that the people pushing that Mr. Vital isn’t forward thinking or giving more details are not thinking and being detailed oriented themselves. Think about it. This is a few quotes from a longer presentation. Have you listened to the whole presentation? So your basing your conclusions on a small part of the whole. Well well look how you’ve caught yourselves with your pants down! Opps! Selah!

  7. ChesteR
    September 4, 2017

    Don’t answer that dut this looks like a ploy by the DLP to seal the next election. lol

  8. waylaylay
    September 4, 2017

    you know either a lot of you have not read the article or y’all just like running your mouths. the CBI program is not going to be his only source of revenue:

    Vital, an economist with broad regional experience, declared that his party will not sit by and depend on the CBI Program as the only hope.

    ” He suggested that revenue from the CBI Program should be used to reduce debt, to build fiscal reserves and to undertake critical capital investment projects, “that will be able to give us a jump-start.”

    • UDOHREADYET
      September 4, 2017

      I think the current government is already doing that… by using the money to build the infrastructure, buildings and investing in the country, it alleviates the need to borrow additional money thus allowing the government to properly manage their current debt. Dominic has the least amount of debt of all the Caribbean countries.

      • Be Good
        September 5, 2017

        tell them forward ever trying to bring back a dead woman

  9. Shameless
    September 4, 2017

    As a once poto Freedomite I maintain that Mr. Vital eh ready yet. His first misstep was articulating his position on no collaboration with the strongest party in Dca now (UWP) which is at the height of ignorance and shows selfishness. He may be an economist but has to understand that the first order of business is getting DLP out while institituting a solid fiscal policy that will transform Dca. Imagine Vital, Fontain and Joshua on an economic recovery coalition panel? Now that is where we can start Mr. Vital so wheel and come again bro. Freedom CANNOT and will NOT win the next election alone…….No way Hozay!!!!
    Put Dca first bro or your dreams will NEVER BE REALIZED.

    Asserting as Mama Eugenia! :twisted:

    • Citizen Kane
      September 4, 2017

      Indeed it is shameful that people like you who have abandoned their dreams now try to encourage others to.
      Kent Vital and like minded individuals will seek to revitalize the party in the mould which they see fit. An option for strong accountable governance.
      The best way we can think of putting Dominica first is to ensure that it gets the government it deserves.. A DFP government which puts people before party power and politics.

  10. September 4, 2017

    Here we go!– The man with NO Plan! Both Vital and Linton need to check themselves before they wreck themselves.

  11. September 4, 2017

    You can’t piggyback off the success of the DLP administration. You need to be a lot more forward-thinking than that.

  12. Tj
    September 4, 2017

    Mr. Vital you making good moves, I just don’t like to hear Trump words about great again LOL

    • Anonymous
      September 4, 2017

      I agree, A very unfortunate choice of words that. The CBI was never that great, even under the DFP. Be careful mr. Vital, the the guy you borrowed that phrase from is increasingly leading a Disunited States of America.

    • Anon
      September 4, 2017

      No joking matter. These are racist code words, we heard them from Ronald Reagan before. Whenever a US politician uses such terms as this one and also “I’m for States rights” also used by Reagan on his trips to the Deep South people. These are code words that mean ‘I’m with you racist klans men, hitler types and white supremacists’.??
      Do you now see thru Trump more clearly? Many of his voters didn’t know that and now have regrets.

    • Let The Truth Be Known
      September 4, 2017

      Trump: I’ll make America great again.” :lol: :lol: :lol: He would like to clean-up America. Who said he can’t do it? If Trump did not have so much opposition, he would move ahead and more quickly.
      I read the Democrats want Obama back. I would never vote for Obama. I have good reasons. Much more could be stated about that. Anyway, his two-term stint are over.

      • Missie
        September 5, 2017

        You need to read the comment right above your’s by Anon for perspective and clarity.

  13. September 4, 2017

    This guy is trying to give the leader of the uwp competition

  14. September 4, 2017

    The current administration’s poor record? Excuse me?

    It is a well known fact that the DLP government has done well with its CBIP! Dominica was listed as the number one country in the world for second citizenship and topped the CBI Index Report of 2017.

    So come better than that Vital!

    • Toto
      September 4, 2017

      And who commissioned that report? Not worth the paper it is written on. Dominica is the cheapest hooker on the CBI block, that is all.

    • Citizen Kane
      September 4, 2017

      Yeah .. of course … With the cheapest passport on the market why not ?

  15. Illuminator
    September 4, 2017

    For a poor country like Dominica, their is nothing noble or great about having to resort to the sale of it’s citizenship to raise development funds. So, Mr. Vital can never ever make it noble or great again!! Not even if he was somehow able to sell all the passports to only his christian brothers and sisters, for among them are the greatest crooks known to man.
    I will again suggest to Mr. Vital that based on his very strong christian values and principles he belongs in the clergy not in Dominican politics as a leader of any party.

    • Let The Truth Be Known
      September 4, 2017

      God knows if his Christian principles and values are truly strong. It sounds like he could have been a Christian Catholic, one of those who renounced his faith; not smart at all. If so, one day he will find out how wrong he was.

  16. John_Locke
    September 4, 2017

    Cut your locks if you want to be PM, Eugenia hated RASTAS! :mrgreen:

    • Citizen Kane
      September 4, 2017

      It is very disturbing that this kinda ignorance still flourishes in Dominica.

    • Anonymous
      September 4, 2017

      Really? Is Mr. Vital a Rastafarian? Everyone who has locs is a Rastafarian? Furthermore, can the hair on a man’s head determine the value of his thoughts, strength of his leadership and the integrity through which it is made manifest? Please inform me sir. Selah!

    • Let The Truth Be Known
      September 4, 2017

      The late Dame Eugenia Charles was a sophisticated lady. This is No. 1 he has to do, change his hairstyle if he wants to look sophisticated and to be a PM. I would have thought when he became leader of DFP he would have cut his hair. People who have such a hairstyle are considered radicals. Furthermore, wearing a suit it is not compatible.
      I do not hate him but I do not like his hairstyle. People as he I would simply talk to if he crosses my path.

    • September 5, 2017

      Mamo was a product of her time, and her time has passed. Welcome to the 21st century, where all people can embrace the hair God gave them.

  17. Ibo France
    September 4, 2017

    Not impressed by the generalities of Mr. Vital ‘s statements. The CBI is unsustainable and it appears as though the new aspiring PM wishes to rely on it as the main economic savior of Dominica’s stuttering economy. The country needs creative, innovative, courageous and visionary leadership to overcome the present economic quagmire. Mr. Vital, if you are unable to articulate new, practical and definitive solutions to the myriad of problems the country is presently experiencing, then your present efforts to become the next Prime Minister, is an exercise in futility.

    • Anonymous
      September 4, 2017

      “Vital, an economist with broad regional experience, declared that his party will not sit by and depend on the CBI Program as the only hope.

      “That sort of dependence is really pathetic and leaves one to question whether the current administration is sufficiently creative to take this country forward in a sustainable manner,” he argued.”

      I don’t think you read this part pal.

    • Polster
      September 4, 2017

      I totally agree you because CBI should not be our only source of income. We should develop other things that we can sell in order to be sufficient.
      I hate the fact that he claims that he will make the CBI program great again. That is such a cheesy statement, because you cannot fix something that is not broken.
      He needs to run on his own and not piggy back on what someone has made great.
      I feel like this is Donald Trump all over again

    • Let The Truth Be Known
      September 4, 2017

      He should consider building an international airport with some of the CBI money.
      If Dominica does not get any hurricanes and storms, one day nationals, especially the poor ones will be much better. Once the money is used for building up Dominica, there will be some left to assist them. Already they are being assisted with this same CBI money. The generations to come will get greater help from it.

  18. DA girl
    September 4, 2017

    Vital look where you mash up yourself before you even start.

  19. NKRUMAH KWAME
    September 4, 2017

    Mr. Vital, please let us LEAVE this CBI business alone. We must not sell our citizenship. Why?? We do not have the required resources: technological, financial nor human. Someone will ALWAYS slip through and the dangers of such will ALWAYS surpass the benefits. Name me one country that has embarked on such/similar initiatives that did not find itself in difficulty??
    HOTEP!

  20. Anansi
    September 4, 2017

    “Noble and great again?” but Mr. Vital is taking a cue from Trump. Probably a more innovative statement would have been that, the DFP intends to reduce reliance on the CBI program and plans to utilize revenues to invest in sustainable capital projects. Otherwise if it is made great again – was it ever? – it will induce more of a dependency than probably ever existed.

  21. September 4, 2017

    Mr Vital, may have to look at his country geopolitically, as oppose to the colonial planted form of political divide and rule that is presently on his DFP table. The CBI is bad news with all its corrupt oriented acts, Dominica , and the caribbean in general need leaders with vision and ideals, not the same ole same ole colonial trained, but one who can think for himself and not easily manipulated by the established forces. Your DFP’ history, is not one that you can run with , you were a young man then, when the DFP was unraveling into nothingness, now is your chance to build from that nothingness, show your people the mettle you were made from, if there is any. Bob D.

  22. Dear Vital,LL Skerrit et Al
    September 3, 2017

    Chinese farmed salmon D/cans wild Salmon mixing em is bad bad news. LL ,Skrit et AL all ant to change or species of wild Atlantic Salmon. Look at DFP/DLP collision bread corruption.
    Atlantic salmon cross into the wild is the same thing. D/cans are Atlantic salmon. Chinese and other CBI salmon is tantamount to contamination. Hybrid fish bad news like labour Freedom.

    • Polster
      September 4, 2017

      Please make an appropriate comment so we can follow your line of thought.

  23. Be Good
    September 3, 2017

    oh boy are you for real you are linton # 2

  24. Real Truth
    September 3, 2017

    This brother has failed already….offering no real solution to help Dominica come up higher for all…….

  25. winston warrington
    September 3, 2017

    Kent Vital enters the political arena at a most auspicious time – midway through this Administration and at a time when Lennox Linton is overwhelmed by legal misfortune. Lacking the grandiloquence and sartorial elegance of LL, he launched into his campaign without message, without breaking news. He will make the CIP great again, seriously? In the US people who quote Donald Trump are derided. But Kent wishes to attract the support of an angry nation without introducing any new ideas; or solutions to quell the nipping tide of malcontents roiled by the UWP and its agitators. You must preach hope because you are young Kent, and if you must lead you can’t merely widen the path cleared by the Dominica Labor Party.

  26. Fake News
    September 3, 2017

    Mr. Vital you start to speak my language and I see enough hope in the DFP to convince me that it’s time to return home, to my DFP, and hell with this and corrupt Skerrit and his DLP that Charles Saverin asked me to vote for in 2000. I really like what I am hearing and I feel we are really back now to correct and clean up the mess of DLP once again, as we did in the 80’s to 90’s.
    By reading this article I realized Mr. Vital must have made this statement during a press conference and if so, I am surprised that no one from the press asked him about CBI money the corrupt Skerrit has spreading all over the country in the name of SMALL BUSINESS, when all evidence is pointing to money to buy votes and to prevent people from talking about Alireza Monfared, who was arrested with our diplomatic passport, and who was hiding in Dominica for six months, before his arrest, with full knowledge of our government and police. Someone should have asked Mr. Vital about that man

  27. Chester
    September 3, 2017

    Like the saying goes, Talk is cheap. Run your mouth vital but you must tell us how you’re going to do things better.

  28. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    September 3, 2017

    “Vital said the DFP will work towards reversing the damage done to the CBI Program”

    How are you going to accomplish that? Are you going to revoke all of the citizenship sold to the crooks, and vagabonds, and thieves who are scattered all over the world?

    Are you going to return the hundreds of millions of dollars they paid for their passports: and if so what about the proceeds which went into the pockets of the foreign, and local salesmen, and women for the merchandise they sold.
    Are you going to hold them accountable for their fleecing, and rip-off of the country?

    “Vital says DFP will make CBI great again!”

    The man has shown me how shallow he is: Donald Trump said ” he will make America great again.” So, this Dominica clown unable to coin his own slogan, quotes Donald Trump slightly different by going to make CBI great again. If as you claim DFP was the one who implemented that disgraceful program in our country; if it was great under the DFP show me the…

  29. Ras
    September 3, 2017

    Edison James and UWP reengineered the DFP’s Economic Citizenship Program and created the environment that led the Canadian government to impose visa requirements for Dominicans to enter Canada after citizenship was granted to hundreds of Russians, Chinese and other individuals including Fugitive Christopher Skasse!
    What does Vital have to say about the UWP handling of the DFP-initiated Layou River Hotel project which James described as the late Dame Eugenia’s scheme to dispose of of her (Layou) Hotel

  30. Truth Be Told
    September 3, 2017

    Now you are talking my language!

  31. Dominca Massive
    September 3, 2017

    As an economist wouldn’t it be beneficial to sit with the government and point out where you see things going wrong, instead of waiting for it to fail as you suggested.In truth and in fact the Freedom Party started it, but the economic activity was not progressing.As with any large investment, the measures were taken but look into the greater responsibility to safe guard its longevity.

  32. Peeping Tom
    September 3, 2017

    “He suggested that revenue from the CBI Program should be used to reduce debt, to build fiscal reserves and to undertake critical capital investment projects, “that will be able to give us a jump-start.”

    In other words, he supports the Government’s management of funds from the CBI.

    SMH! Vital appears to be another disaster on the horizon for the DFP. Speaking without knowing of what he speaks. No different from its immediate past leader.

  33. Polster
    September 3, 2017

    How can you make a program that have received excellence great again.
    Great again would mean that there was something wrong with it in the first place.
    Why don’t you choose another topic that has not been explored to talk about.
    I think majority of Dominicans who voted the current administration are quite comfortable with the manner in which the CBI program has been working.
    You have great shoes to fill and I think you should not try to imitate the opposition by trying to build on what Skerrit has already done. (ONE CHINA POLICY)
    You said that Skerrit can take your idea and put it in his manifesto but I have not heard you say one thing that was your original idea.
    Since you want to build a party based on honesty. lets start here. When was the last time you went to St. Joseph to visit your father in law, and why don’t you help him out.
    THERE IS A PLACE TO START!!!!!!!!!!! HOW ABOUT THAT?

    • Anonymous
      September 4, 2017

      Polster I think it’s fine and good to talk politics. But you shouldn’t poke into people’s personal business…which you know nothing about. Please watch yourself sir/madam. Smh.

    • Toto
      September 4, 2017

      You are nasty. That is the problem with us. Mr. Vital is married to the man’s daughter, not to him. He has no responsibility for him.

  34. September 3, 2017

    I wish u the best sir :)

  35. Malgraysa
    September 3, 2017

    If we continue with this programme in any shape or form we must take the soliciting of customers out of the hands of agents and strictly administer it ourselves. By their very nature, agents serve their own interests first. There is nothing inherently criminal in this but we should recognize this and not pretend that this is not so. Secondly, income from this programme should be used for income-generating projects and not to fund government deficits as this would defeat the holy grail of self-sustainability and encourage government to be spendthrift and buy popularity. We do not need more govt. jobs.!
    This leads me to the question, who is financing the re-surrected DFP’s campaign? If the party advocates transparency I think the Dominican citizenry should be told. I am not against the DFP on principle, as long as these principles are in tune with the late Dame Charles, who attained universal recognition and respect in her own right. She made t

    • September 5, 2017

      Good sense from Malgraysa as usual.

      One quibble, though: while I agree entirely that CBI funds shouldn’t be used to cover deficits, Vidal didn’t refer to that, he referred to debt, which is a different matter and might be a prudent use of those funds.

  36. %
    September 3, 2017

    Every other leader other than Skerrit of this corrupt DLP,will I believe, do an excellent job with our CBI..This Skerrit led DLP,is the worst in the Caribbean and arguably the Commonwealth….Kenya Supreme Court overturned CORRUPT ELECTION.
    SKERRIT MUST GO
    SKERRIT MUST GO
    SKERRIT MUST GO NOW!

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