Dominica’s CBI earnings to be made public

passport moneyDominica’s Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Dr. Vince Henderson has revealed that government will soon make public the amount of money that has been earned under the much talked about Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Program.

Additionally, he stated that programs which benefitted from the CBI will become public knowledge.

“Soon the government will publish some of the information ….,” he stated on Kairi’s Heng Program recently. “We will be making public the programs that have benefited under the CBI, how much money is being collected, do a proper audit of how many passports have been issued, where that money has gone to. I am sure that some of us who are even doubtful about the program would be shocked to know that we have been on the receiving end, we have been beneficiaries of the program.”

There have been calls from some quarters to make the CBI a bit more transparent and answers have been sought, especially from the opposition United Workers Party, as it relates to the number of passports sold and the amount of money earned under the program.

But according to Henderson, Leader of the Opposition, Lennox Linton has the constitutional and legal authority to call the financial secretary of the Citizenship By Investment Unit (CBIU) for an account on those matters.

“The leader of the opposition has the authority, constitutional authority, legal authority to call the financial secretary, the head of the CBIU, to account for those things and to ensure that they can know how many passports that are being issued, how much money is collected and how the money is being spent. So that can be done easily,” he explained.

Calls have also been made to have a Freedom of Information Act in Dominica in order to get more information on the CBI program.

But Henderson said all information about the program is gazetted and is public information, so a Freedom of Information Act, at least in the CBI case, is not necessary.

“So the call for Freedom of Information Act, this is absolute nonsense because there are ways in the laws of Dominica that can allow someone to get that information,” he stated. “I am not saying that Freedom of Information Act is not good but for that purpose, it is not necessary to get the kind of information to determine whether the program is being run properly.”

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31 Comments

  1. preachers kid
    February 17, 2016

    any body knows the where about of Reginald Austrie?

  2. Peter Potter
    February 17, 2016

    I am not holding my breath. All they’ll do is to tell us what we know already. Let’s face it, we will only get the full truth once this regime is gone and mark my words that will make sad reading.

  3. February 17, 2016

    i hope all you release the info on what or where the passport money for the layou river 4 or 5 star hotel go

  4. Sams Gutter
    February 16, 2016

    Some information. All the money collected and where it went should be public knowledge.

  5. February 16, 2016

    Dr Vince, your diagnose for this ailing administration is long in coming; but alas your prescription is like that of a medical doctor prescribing more alcohol to an alcoholic patient as treatment. When some of you guys attain a certain level of academic achievement you seem to think everyone else is a dum-in-i-can. It is little wonder that the youth of today think that wrong is right since a bunch of political lunatics took over the governance of this country and dealing away the resources of Dominica like it was willed over to them by their grandparents. Dr Vince Henderson stop pussy-footing with the issue and present the facts in black and white; not by your spin doctors but by people with honesty, integrity, and transparency as their watchword.

  6. dissident
    February 16, 2016

    Say what!????
    why dem man coming in my dream for nuh boy!!
    where he come from nuh all of a sudden?
    in de dream i was having is PM Skerrit that was whispering dat to de SC!!!

  7. February 16, 2016

    Zero interrest in what Vince or Skerrit got to say, because passport are sold and nothing to show for them

  8. Shaka Zulu
    February 16, 2016

    Did he say some of the information will be released. So it is true that no one knows how many passports are sold and what the money is used for. Mr. Vince if you say it is gazetted and available for anyone in public. Why then would you come on radio say it will be soon made available. Why not send us link or directions to where we can access the gazette so we can see all public information. Politicians and thier excuses!!! Every dollar needs to be accounted for and should come from an independent audit. This government with its notorious history of lies cannot be trusted to give any information.

  9. Dalit
    February 16, 2016

    No matter what the govt says the opposition supporters who infest this website will down vote. I understand that game.

    However you cannot downvote yourself into power. The reality is that Dominica citizenship program is starting todo well because of Shengen which we got approved in June of last year.

    Before that we had less visa free locations than most. Now we have as much and more for a lower cost and Dominica revenues are bound to increase as well as the CBI addition of Range.

    Of course the govt will not admit that because they don’t want to make it appear that the EU and British access is the main card but it is.

    If Skerrit gets CIP right then there will be no way back into govt for UWP.

    • February 16, 2016

      Dalit you sound like a prophet of doom; Dominicans a free to make up their minds as to who should govern their affairs and that should be based on Transparency, Accountability and good Governance and until people like you get it stop making it appear that only one set of people have the mental capacity to deliver most of us know better.

  10. Cornbeef
    February 16, 2016

    After all of them well set up, now they want to disclose after deductions.

  11. Anansi
    February 16, 2016

    That’s fine Vince. As long as you can also furnish past statements, preferably audited. Why are you only choosing now to produce these reports? How can we determine the reliability, verifiability and accuracy of these statements? Have them audited by an independent, non-government/Skerrit affiliated body, then come again.

    • KID ON THE BLOCK
      February 16, 2016

      Anansi, You seem to know so much just ask for you to do all that you ask for!

      • %
        February 16, 2016

        I am certain you did not understand what you read..!They believe that all DNO bloggers are as stupid as you are…

      • Ryan
        February 16, 2016

        Why?? so you can say Anansi lie when he provide the real figures which will be a few thousands they sneak in there last minute.

      • Anansi
        February 18, 2016

        I will not ask, KOTB. My speciality is white collar crime, so I know how these things work.

    • Dominican
      February 16, 2016

      No medicine

  12. February 16, 2016

    I am trying to figure out the true meaning of CBI
    Crooks Buying Immunity ?
    Citizenship Bought Illegally
    Criminal Bobol Indulgence
    Whatever it means it is controlled by P.I.G.S ( *Politicians In Government Stealing ) or howe very interpreted

    Loo it went from ECP -Evil Crook Politicians to Crooked Bobo Individuals.

    Why is Vince Barking

    • Channel 1
      February 16, 2016

      @Lang Mama – Aye DNO, I would like to nominate the post above by Lang Mama for consideration for DNO’s 2016 Post of the Year Award.

      Tenks.

      Aye Lang Mama, Vince now barking because de dog catchers ketch “dem fellas” in de bush; since then, “dem fellas” seeing the gates of the dog pound getting much closer and “dem fellas” panicking.

    • Cornbeef
      February 16, 2016

      wooyee!! That one made my day!!!

    • KID ON THE BLOCK
      February 16, 2016

      @lang mama, Vince is barking because You are BRAYING!

      • February 16, 2016

        That’s a good one. Lol

    • Lennie Ismael
      February 17, 2016

      All of the above…lol

  13. Shameless
    February 16, 2016

    Garson Vince you have sold your soul to the devil in disguise!

    All you doing right now is damage control after you open your mouth about the 124 Million received in 6 months and Skerro went berserk on you. Now he going foo trying to put something in place to present to we the people. We appreciate it but make sure it gives and accurate accounting. We will NOT accept a partial, forged or manipulated accounting.

    It is “alleged” that man pulling money back from all toolooloo holes because things start to stink. Thank God for Lennox and the opposition but mark my words Vince, somebody MUST pay for our passport money one day, mark my words because god is NOT a Dominican Police Commissioner. :twisted: :twisted: You were once a highly regarded scout and the first scout Law reads;
    1. A scout is to be trusted

    You have betrayed that trust as far as I am concerned.

    Always assertive! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

  14. me
    February 16, 2016

    Citizenship by Investment Programme is abbreviated ‘CIP’
    ..ok bye.

  15. Hmmm
    February 16, 2016

    Smh… ´Linton has the legal authority to call in for an account on these matters´ …so why hasnt he yet? Linton like so much story, what for him to do in his capacity as the opposition leader, he is not doing eh. All he wants to do is belch bubbles and get sued for it for his supporters to cover the cost.

    • Dorival John
      February 16, 2016

      When Hector John was leader of the opposition he had the legal authority as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee to get information on Skerrit’s travel. He asked for it and was stonewalled for three years. When he finally got it, it was a whole bunch of foolishness. According to the records given, one of Skerrit’s trip to St. Lucia cost more than one of his trips to Europe. DNO has a story about it.

      So this thing about having ‘legal authority’ is pure nonsense because whenever information is sought after, the people in the government, which are all Skerrit’s supporters, give you the run around and it comes to nothing.

      • sanford
        February 17, 2016

        hmmmm i see you are back.

    • Nana
      February 16, 2016

      What do you think him and ‘concerned citizens of Dominica’ have been asking?

  16. mem bagai la
    February 16, 2016

    Vince who you think you giving that stone to hold? You guys really taking dcans for cunumoonu man. Some of us are not gullible and dont feed of empty promises. Aller calay yeyeh Vince!

    • smh
      February 16, 2016

      TRICKS ARE FOR KIDS! so they can put whatever they want people to know… smh

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