The latest on the now surfaced Saint Lucia Citizenship by Investment (CIP) agreements in 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024 validates the ‘deception against the people of Saint Lucia’ and the mafia boss ties to real estate, tax cuts, concessions and access to cabinet and members of parliament.
The encompassing swag, relative explanations and ethics in public life are comparatively unmatched in the complexity and creativity of the government on display in Saint Lucia.
Natured illusion [na·tured. ¦nāchə(r)d. : having a specified nature, temper, or disposition] is adequate to explain, when the leadership of political parties and governments are not believable, even by local standards.
In Saint Lucia, after 45 years of independence and earnest promises to fix things, there are certainly natured illusions about many undertakings on the island about blue and white-collar crime, CIP crimes, bad governance, violence, and criminality.
“This problem didn’t start overnight. It has been building up from years of ignoring the signs and letting anger and hatred grow,” said an official statement, Archbishop of Castries The Most Reverend Gabriel Malzaire. “To the leaders of state, public institutions, private enterprise, academia, civil society and the church, I call upon all of us to constructively and lead by example. It is our responsibility to ensure that our society adheres to the law, but also to embody integrity and virtue in our leadership. Let us strive to be fit and proper leaders, acknowledging that where we fail, we must seek atonement.”
Confession is the sacrament of penance, that consecrates the Christian sinner’s personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction. In modern Christianity, there is a hesitant to go to confession from perhaps not having a clear understanding about what is sin – and – due in part to the conviction to confess sins directly to God.
The location of the new halls of justice may help to clarify the service of the sacrament of confession and “the Catholic clergyman appealed to all members of society to play their role in combating crime,” including blue and white-collar crime, CIP crimes, bad governance, violence, and criminality, with urgency.
The perfect storm
Understanding the implications of these developments requires a broader societal understanding for changes to take effect. In a perfect storm, one can ask: What has happened, and what corrective action can be taken?
The questionable optics of public leadership to CIP in Saint Lucia today represent major setbacks. Kenny D. Anthony, had serious concerns about CIP when it was introduced in 2015, by his own administration in Monaco.
Between 2016 and 2021 the rules governing CIP had changed, and certainly, the journey has evolved with real challenges that lie ahead.
The focus on CIP is deserving. This subject matter has an impact on immigration, the economy, health and legal implications. The results to date are extremely biased towards positive and tangible results for Saint Lucians.
The major benefactors of the CIP industry are selective domestic operatives and some international players who are biased towards their results.
In pursuit of the ultimate goal, accountability and ethics must evolve. Thus, slowing down in critical areas and CIP investment platforms must first be studied unreservedly.
Standards in public life
Recently, minister of finance and the public service, Fayval Williams, referenced that the government of Jamaica is committed to building a civil service with a strong reputation for excellence. “We must constantly strive to improve systems, drive efficiency and think innovatively, […].”
Doug Chalmers, chair, spoke at the Institute for Government’s event ‘What next for standards in public life?‘ marking the 30th anniversary of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, said:
“There is no doubt that our public life is more transparent than it was. But there is also no doubt that standards matter (s) still concern the public. There is no room for complacency. And while sunlight may be the ‘best disinfectant’ we now know that transparency alone does not simply translate into greater public trust. Just following the rules doesn’t build trust, context is needed as well.”
“To some degree, public cynicism is a healthy thing, but in an age of social media echo chambers and soundbite viral clips, finding something positive to say about standards might sound radical or misconceived. But I believe that there is a positive story to tell,” Charmers continued, […].
“Honesty, openness, objectivity, selflessness, integrity, accountability, and leadership are the principles expected of all those in public life. They underlie codes of conduct, they are on lanyards and fridge magnets and noticeboards across the public sector – reminding those who work there to keep to the values that the public expects. They are regularly used in media interviews to ask politicians to justify decisions, they are quoted in complaint letters and feature in editorials critical of the conduct of public officials.”
Hazards and adversity
The future of CIP Saint Lucia remains indeterminate. The optics are erroneous. The investment platforms are unjustified. In the true sense of Foreign Direct Investment, (FDI) the CIP agreements 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024 are none qualifiers.
In pursuit of a strong reputation, capable of driving development and societal change, and to think innovatively, there must be a shift in personal conduct and conducting business in Saint Lucia.
Saint Lucia needs representatives who are not a primary distraction to the critical work of government, national development and governance. To improve systems and think innovatively with the use of AI-led in a consistent and futuristic mindset, simpletons and political representatives must withdraw from matters of their lesser expertise (politics, ideology, pork-barrel projects and squander) and avoid national catastrophe.
The contents of the CIP agreements continue to expose the lack of negotiating skills, technical knowledge, legal parameters, and development priorities. The CIP is but one example that reinforces the reintroduction of a competent planning department, that knows its onions – setting the standards and a very high bar.
There is always language to affirm that due diligence is strong and uncontested and upon revocation of citizenship the reasons are “committed an act,” and “may bring Saint Lucia into disrepute.”
There is a school of thought that applicants and their gainful endeavours are in most cases not known overnight, given the speed of approvals and granting of citizenship (below 90 days), summarise the acknowledgement that something (s) are liable to be missed and/or glossed over.
First, the recommendation is to up-skilled techniques and modern procedures of the due diligence unit. Second, the unit should be a separate body, independent from CIP operational and legislative jurisdiction; and third, completely out of the line minister portfolio.
Beyond a replacement of the principles at CIP Saint Lucia and the minister with responsibility, who is all but unsure, knowing when to take the exit at one’s valuation is as important as not knowing how to learn the earnest truth about integrity.
