PM Skerrit: ‘Dominica has no issue with St. Kitts-Nevis reducing its CBI price’

PM Skerrit at a press conference in St. Kitts recently

In a clear and direct rebuke to accusations levelled by St. Kitts-Nevis’ leader of the Opposition, the Right Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas, on Sept. 23, 2017, about the Dr. Harris-led Team Unity administration’s decision to implement a temporary Hurricane Relief Fund (HRF) investment contribution under the real estate option to assist government with repairs to public infrastructure and private property damaged during the 2017 hurricane season, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica the Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit has labeled the pronouncement as “malicious.”

Under the HRF, a single applicant can make a nonrefundable contribution of US$150,000; a main applicant with up to three dependents, a nonrefundable contribution of US$150,000 and additional dependents regardless of age, US$25,000. This option is available for a six-month period ending March 30, 2018.

Speaking at a media engagement after the recently concluded 90th meeting of the ECCB Monetary Council at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Headquarters in St. Kitts Feb. 16, Prime Minister Skerrit, who is also chairman of the ECCB Monetary Council, said that “there is no race to the bottom” with respect to Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes in the OECS (Organization of Eastern Caribbean States).

“We in Dominica have no issue with St. Kitts-Nevis reducing its (CBI) price,” Skerrit said. “St. Kitts-Nevis has to deal with certain realities and, as a government, it has to take decisions in the interests of its citizens.”

In a statement delivered on radio and social media in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria by Douglas, who holds a Commonwealth of Dominica diplomatic passport, criticized the move by the Harris-led administration as one of taking advantage of hurricane-ravaged Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda, who both have CBI programmes.

Douglas said: “Today, Sept. 23, 2017, the government of St. Kitts and Nevis, led by Dr. Timothy Harris, has sunk to the lowest low in a manner that is most unconscionable and calculated to undermine the desperate recovery efforts that are underway in Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda to restore those countries’ operations and the lives of their citizens to a state of normalcy as quickly as possible.”

However, the Dominican prime minister rubbished Douglas’ comments.

“Part of the problem we have with the negative publicity of our programmes comes from ourselves as citizens in the OECS, and these islands, in that sometimes we appear to be malicious in our public pronouncements on these programmes because a party in Opposition may feel if I can affect this revenue stream, then I would affect the performance of the government, then I can get in,” he said. “We do not want to engage in this country or that country outside there on any combative engagement. Sometimes issues are raised about our programmes that are far from factual.

“These programmes are dynamic. There are different realities you have to treat with as time goes by, and I believe that we in the OECS have been able to make those changes as the time goes by,” he added. “The CBI programme continues to be a very important source of revenue for all of us who have it and especially those of us who’ve been impacted by some hurricane.”

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27 Comments

  1. Rassheed
    February 26, 2018

    This guy is the worst thing that has happened to Dominica in its entire history and existence. Someone asked me “where is he from?” I’m still wondering.

  2. Rassheed
    February 26, 2018

    I wouldn’t vote for skearrat is he offers me his BOLLSS.

  3. KID ON THE STREET
    February 24, 2018

    It seems that the Opposition on her forgot all their nasty tricks they tried. For the record, all the comments on here opposing the PM Good works are from UWP Operatives to give the country as bad name. Stop posing as the populous giving comments.

    • RandyX
      February 26, 2018

      Up until now Skerrit and his regime have not done any good work. I challenge you to tell us what good work he has done in your opinion. Perhaps you want to ask some of my below questions on behalf of ‘your PM’.

    • RandyX
      February 26, 2018

      *answer I ment to say not ask. Apologies!

  4. KID ON THE BLOCK
    February 24, 2018

    DNO, Im trying to wonder what happened to my previous comment?

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      February 25, 2018

      Maybe  they censored it because they did not want anybody to read the rubbish you wrote oui!

      And the reason you have to try to wonder is because you are an idiot eh.

      Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

      • KID ON THE BLOCK
        February 26, 2018

        You are the biggest J… A.. on this site!

  5. RandyX
    February 24, 2018

    Skerrit, you would be well advised not to talk about CBI until such time you are willing to:
    A) show us independently audited accounts of Dominicas CBI program
    B) show us independently audited accounts of the issue of Diplomatic accounts
    C) show us independently audited accounts of Petro Caribe Dominica Ltd.
    The citizens of the country demand transperancy and are entitled to this. If you are unwilling to do so, you have to resign. The citizen of Dominica will issue a vote of Non Confidence. Be warned Sir, this is not going away, either account or go!!

    • RandyX
      February 25, 2018

      Also can you inform us what happened to the following:
      A) coffee factory in Portsmouth
      B) abattoir in Layou
      C) Moroccan hotel in Portsmouth
      D) geothermal plant

      Are all these gonna be more additions to famous ruins in Dominica courtesy of the Skerrit regime.

  6. UDOHREADYET
    February 23, 2018

    wise words in consideration fo the state of the affected Islands and the obvious loss of revenue from other sources.. He is right people are speaking against these programs as means to impact revenue streams that these small Islands are dependent on. they do so without regards to development and the citizens (next generation) that would be directly affected by the lack of development and growth the revenue provides for.

    • viewsexpressed
      February 24, 2018

      You really doh ready yet with BS bind rubbish you write about. Skerrit is waste time, developmentally immature and not ready. You Skerrit clowns tease about this man like a leach with no substance or knowledge of the suffering imposed on us Dominicans for over 17 tears now. Tell me, tell us where has been the development in Dominica taken place offer the past 18 years of these clown and corrupt Labour government in power. You al have ripped off of the country of any economic and social development and have reduced our precious people to beggars. Where is the development, ? Show us, tell us, direct us.
      Skerrit is a failure, his government is corrupt to the bone and the reason why you absent and blind labour people scared Hon Linton is because he has a good track record is bringing the forgery and corruptness of Labour to the open. Your failed Skerrit and his corrupt Labour government must go. Just Go
      Again we asked, where is the development, where is this ailing, dead economy…

  7. February 23, 2018

    In comes the reality

  8. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    February 23, 2018

    “We in Dominica have no issue with St. Kitts-Nevis reducing its (CBI) price,” Skerrit said. “St. Kitts-Nevis has to deal with certain realities and, as a government, it has to take decisions in the interests of its citizens.”

    Roosevelt; it is not we in Dominica: you need to say you have no issue with St. Kitts reducing the price of their passport; there is a reason they decided to reduce the price. If you had simple commonsense you would have realized that people are becoming less interested in buying passports.

    Maybe the criminals who indulged in that are becoming fewer and fewer, sales has dropped, hence St. Dropped their price to try and see if they can get more crooks and criminals to buy their passports.

    There is a metaphor “when we have glass windows, we should not throw stones.” What are you going to do when the sale of Dominica passports drop?

    That is our main industry you know; you made it so!

    • KID ON THE BLOCK
      February 25, 2018

      Francisco, be honest to yourself. You think Skerrit cares a F about you? You are the last THING S kerrit worries about.

      • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
        February 25, 2018

        It is because of idiots like you why Roosevelt continues to mess-up the country, and could care less; don’t you see he ensures his children are all born in the United States of America?

        Why don’t try to wonder why?

        Since you are so dumb and do not possess the ability to think cognitively to know why; so I will give you a hint! Roosevelt knows when he is threw with Dominica, when he has accumulated enough wealth off the blood of the poor idiots like you and Dominica collapses, he and his children will escape to their Real Estate in Manhattan New York to live in comfort where Real Estate are the most expensive in the world!

        Mind you he do not have to worry about me, he need to constant worry about himself okay; because Francisco Telemaque don’t have to worry about INTERPOL New Scotland Yard nor FBI capturing me at anytime during my travels eh!

        Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!

        I do not live fear! 

  9. Hmph!
    February 23, 2018

    I dont have problem with having a CBI program. What I have a problem with is accountabilty. Transparency is also a concern.

    • viewsexpressed
      February 24, 2018

      Tell them,,,,tell them.. Go tell those silly blind loyalists. They are blind to the reality of how deep in poverty Dominica has became under their corrupt Labour government. We must question Skerrit, he appears weak and blind. They nothing of accountability let alone to account for their own position and to account to us Dominicans. A warning to Skerrit`s Boom Boom Flies DNO, we will read your comments but we will respond positively to open your eyes and your brains of the reality of poverty in Dominica and the corrupt practices of your corrupt Labour government and its leadership.

  10. February 23, 2018

    You’re Right PM bc you have your own customers. You know exactly Who you’re selling Dominica passport to?. People who’s running from law will pay any price for a passport.

  11. I am Dominica, are you?
    February 23, 2018

    Personally speaking I have no issue with St. Kitts and Nevis lowering the cost of their passport to compete with Dominica and others. In the business world there is nothing wrong with completion. What I would like Skerrit to tell us is, what has he done to make our passport more attractive than that of St. Kitts and Nevis, to the point that the opposition leader of St. Kitts and Nevis Hon. Denzil Douglas, could leave his native country where he is entitled to hold a diplomatic passport for free and come to Dominica to buy ours instead? Is it that the St Kitts and Nevis Passport would reveal something to foreign authorities about him while a Dominica passport would help him hide his identity since his local passport would have him as a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis while his Dominica passport has him as a Citizen of Dominica? Skerrit needs to tell us why he has so badly disgraced our passports to make it so damn attractive to wanted crooks and criminals like Monfared and others

  12. Op
    February 23, 2018

    Why should he? He has no issue with handing their former leader our evidently “worthless” diplomatic passport!

  13. viewsexpressed
    February 23, 2018

    Who cares about Skerrit….? He is irrelevant, that ailed Prime Mininister some refers to as the most and worse Prime Mininister in the CARICOM> he may be referred to as an Odd Mininister, that is there is not principle guiding him into socio0exonimic development. It is a fast food operational government that s being in with the abuse of states funds apparently buying poor and deprived people through the operation of the Red Clinic, an insulting programme where poor in need people rather than offer hobs, offer handouts and uses that same dirty hands to applause this treachery and bobol.
    Skerrit must Go. This Labour government is corrupt and has abused and failed the people of Dominica.

  14. Mwen
    February 23, 2018

    Oh Skerrit, why are you throwing you Diplomat under the bus? Is it because he was caught and is being stripped?
    Lol, you two face “honourables”…

    • RandyX
      February 25, 2018

      Honourable my foot. There is nothing honourable about these guys. Infact it’s exactly the opposite!

  15. Truth Be Told
    February 23, 2018

    Does this man really have any degree qualification in English Language?
    “…this country or that country outside there on any combative engagement. Sometimes issues are raised about our programmes that are far from factual.
    “These programmes are dynamic. There are different realities you have to treat with as time goes by, and I believe that we in the OECS have been able to make those changes as the time goes by,” he added. “The CBI programme continues to be a very important source of revenue for all of us who have it and especially those of us who’ve been impacted by some hurricane.”
    Really, this is a Prime Minister’s use of and command of the English Language?

    • RandyX
      February 25, 2018

      Yes he has, the fake one from the Indian University. The other ones were bought from Amazon…

  16. KID ON THE BLOCK
    February 23, 2018

    Was it at this conference I St.Kitts the Chairperson asked the Opposition Leader of a country to take his domestic POLITICAL ISSUE back to his country, he the Chairperson told that Leader of Opposition, he has no time for them kind of nonsense because he is not the SPEAKER of the House from which that Leader of the Opposition came from?.. Just a question.

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