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I read with a certain level of dismay and bewilderment, the recently issued statement by the OECS Heads of Government regarding the Citizenship by Investment program and their possible engagement with the European Union.
In particular, the Eleventh Paragraph of the Statement issued by the OECS Heads of Government on 10 July 2026, caught my attention and deserves careful reflection by the citizens of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). It states:
“Recognizing the importance of preserving economic stability and development gains achieved through Citizenship by Investment programs, the Heads of Government have agreed that discussions with the European Union should also encompass opportunities for enhanced development cooperation, strategic investment partnerships, climate resilience financing, economic diversification initiatives, and other appropriate support measures capable of strengthening long-term economic resilience and facilitating any future arrangements that may be agreed between the parties.” (Emphasis mine)
At first reading, this appears to be a reasonable commitment to dialogue with the European Union. However, it also raises an important strategic question:
Why has the OECS not already established its own regional mechanism to strengthen long-term economic resilience using the substantial revenues generated by its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs?
Would it not be a fair question to be asked by the citizens of the five (5) OECS member states?
Nowhere in the said statement was any mentioned made of what the OECS member states would be bringing to the table as part of this engagement with the EU, and in relation to the specific concerns raised and request made at paragraph 11 of the issued statement.
For more than three decades, the CBI programs of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia have generated significant revenues that have helped finance national budgets, public infrastructure, social programs, debt reduction, and post-disaster recovery. These programs have been an important source of development financing for several member states.
Given the region’s repeated exposure to hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, floods, global economic shocks, and the COVID-19 pandemic, one might reasonably have expected the OECS to complement national spending with a collective regional strategy.
For example, a regional OECS Development and Resilience Fund, financed by an agreed proportion of CBI revenues, could have provided:
Such a fund would not necessarily have replaced national priorities, but it could have complemented them by investing in projects that benefit the OECS region as a whole and by strengthening collective resilience.
Instead, paragraph eleven of the OECS statement suggests that the region is NOW looking externally—to the European Union—for additional development cooperation, climate financing, strategic investment partnerships, and broader economic support. A little too late and unfortunate I must say.
There is nothing inherently inappropriate about engaging with international partners. Indeed, cooperation with the European Union and other development institutions has long contributed to Caribbean development. However, it is equally important to ask whether the region has fully leveraged its own resources before seeking additional external support. As the old adage goes, ‘charity begins at home’
The question is not whether the European Union should be a partner. Rather, it is whether the OECS could have entered these discussions from an even stronger position had it already established a well-capitalized regional resilience and development mechanism funded by a portion of CBI revenues. An initiative that was not mentioned anywhere in the Heads of Government statement.
Such a fund might have demonstrated the region’s commitment to collective responsibility, enhanced its negotiating position with international partners, and reduced dependence on external financing for priorities that could, at least in part, have been supported through regional savings and investment.
Looking ahead, the current discussions may still present an opportunity. Rather than relying solely on future external assistance, the OECS could consider complementing international partnerships with stronger regional financial architecture. This could include exploring a dedicated resilience or development fund, common investment principles, and transparent governance arrangements to support projects of shared regional importance.
The Caribbean has consistently demonstrated resilience in the face of extraordinary challenges. That resilience need to be strengthened not only through international cooperation but also through prudent long-term planning and regional solidarity.
As discussions continue with the European Union, the OECS has an opportunity to pursue both objectives: securing beneficial partnerships while also building durable regional institutions capable of supporting sustainable development for generations to come.
If I may quote from an article dated July 8, 2026 and titled ‘The death of Citizenship by Investment in the OECS’ the author of this article, Mark A. G. Brantley; Leader of the Opposition of St. Kitts and Nevis, Premier of Nevis was quoted as stating:
“Of one thing I am certain in all of this. There is no one who is coming to save the Caribbean. You in this Spice Island must save yourselves. We of the OECS must save ourselves. The Caribbean region must save itself”
Surely, the European Union will NOT be able to save us either.
Alvin A. Thomas
Concerned Citizen & Former CSA General Secretary
Commonwealth of Dominica
Dated July 13, 2026
I read with a certain level of dismay and bewilderment, the recently issued statement by the OECS Heads of Government regarding the Citizenship by Investment program and their possible engagement with the European Union.
In particular, the Eleventh Paragraph of the Statement issued by the OECS Heads of Government on 10 July 2026, caught my attention and deserves careful reflection by the citizens of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). It states:
“Recognizing the importance of preserving economic stability and development gains achieved through Citizenship by Investment programs, the Heads of Government have agreed that discussions with the European Union should also encompass opportunities for enhanced development cooperation, strategic investment partnerships, climate resilience financing, economic diversification initiatives, and other appropriate support measures capable of strengthening long-term economic resilience and facilitating any future arrangements that may be agreed between the parties.” (Emphasis mine)
At first reading, this appears to be a reasonable commitment to dialogue with the European Union. However, it also raises an important strategic question:
Why has the OECS not already established its own regional mechanism to strengthen long-term economic resilience using the substantial revenues generated by its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs?
Would it not be a fair question to be asked by the citizens of the five (5) OECS member states?
Nowhere in the said statement was any mentioned made of what the OECS member states would be bringing to the table as part of this engagement with the EU, and in relation to the specific concerns raised and request made at paragraph 11 of the issued statement.
For more than three decades, the CBI programs of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia have generated significant revenues that have helped finance national budgets, public infrastructure, social programs, debt reduction, and post-disaster recovery. These programs have been an important source of development financing for several member states.
Given the region’s repeated exposure to hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, floods, global economic shocks, and the COVID-19 pandemic, one might reasonably have expected the OECS to complement national spending with a collective regional strategy.
For example, a regional OECS Development and Resilience Fund, financed by an agreed proportion of CBI revenues, could have provided:
Such a fund would not necessarily have replaced national priorities, but it could have complemented them by investing in projects that benefit the OECS region as a whole and by strengthening collective resilience.
Instead, paragraph eleven of the OECS statement suggests that the region is NOW looking externally—to the European Union—for additional development cooperation, climate financing, strategic investment partnerships, and broader economic support. A little too late and unfortunate I must say.
There is nothing inherently inappropriate about engaging with international partners. Indeed, cooperation with the European Union and other development institutions has long contributed to Caribbean development. However, it is equally important to ask whether the region has fully leveraged its own resources before seeking additional external support. As the old adage goes, ‘charity begins at home’
The question is not whether the European Union should be a partner. Rather, it is whether the OECS could have entered these discussions from an even stronger position had it already established a well-capitalized regional resilience and development mechanism funded by a portion of CBI revenues. An initiative that was not mentioned anywhere in the Heads of Government statement.
Such a fund might have demonstrated the region’s commitment to collective responsibility, enhanced its negotiating position with international partners, and reduced dependence on external financing for priorities that could, at least in part, have been supported through regional savings and investment.
Looking ahead, the current discussions may still present an opportunity. Rather than relying solely on future external assistance, the OECS could consider complementing international partnerships with stronger regional financial architecture. This could include exploring a dedicated resilience or development fund, common investment principles, and transparent governance arrangements to support projects of shared regional importance.
The Caribbean has consistently demonstrated resilience in the face of extraordinary challenges. That resilience need to be strengthened not only through international cooperation but also through prudent long-term planning and regional solidarity.
As discussions continue with the European Union, the OECS has an opportunity to pursue both objectives: securing beneficial partnerships while also building durable regional institutions capable of supporting sustainable development for generations to come.
If I may quote from an article dated July 8, 2026 and titled ‘The death of Citizenship by Investment in the OECS’ the author of this article, Mark A. G. Brantley; Leader of the Opposition of St. Kitts and Nevis, Premier of Nevis was quoted as stating:
“Of one thing I am certain in all of this. There is no one who is coming to save the Caribbean. You in this Spice Island must save yourselves. We of the OECS must save ourselves. The Caribbean region must save itself”
Surely, the European Union will NOT be able to save us either.
Alvin A. Thomas
Concerned Citizen & Former CSA General Secretary
Commonwealth of Dominica
Dated July 13, 2026
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It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
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