Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced that the government will table a dedicated paper in Parliament on the future of Antigua and Barbuda's Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP), as consultations continue over whether the country should suspend the initiative to protect visa access to the United States and the European Union.
According to Antigua News Room, Browne made the announcement while wrapping up Tuesday's parliamentary debate on a resolution governing negotiations with the United States over the possible transfer of third-country nationals. He told lawmakers they would have a formal opportunity to debate the programme's future and put forward alternative proposals.
"We're hoping within a matter of weeks to come up with a consensus," Browne said. "We can possibly bring a resolution here as well… and let us have a discussion on that matter."
The prime minister said he wants the debate to challenge opposition members to demonstrate what solutions they would offer if Antigua and Barbuda is ultimately forced to choose between preserving the CIP and maintaining international visa privileges.
"Now is your time to show the people your mettle," Browne said, directly challenging opposition members to outline their own recommendations when the matter comes before Parliament.
His remarks followed renewed concerns over visa restrictions imposed by the United States and a demand from the European Union that Caribbean nations phase out citizenship-by-investment programmes or risk losing visa-free access to the Schengen Area.
Browne said the government remains in active discussions over whether continuing the programme serves the country's long-term interests.
"If it is a CIP issue that persists, then we have to have a broader discussion as to whether or not we need to maintain our CIP programme, or if we should suspend it so that we can get full visa access again to the U.S.," he said.
He added that the same considerations apply to visa-free access to Europe. "If it is that we want to maintain access in the European Union visa-free, then we have to have a discussion as to whether or not we should continue the CIP and give up $100 million," Browne said.
The prime minister stressed that no decision has been made and that consultations are ongoing as the government weighs the programme's economic value against the importance of preserving international travel privileges for Antiguan and Barbudan passport holders.
The CIP has generated substantial revenue for Antigua and Barbuda over the years, but has faced growing scrutiny from international partners concerned about investor citizenship schemes. Browne said the planned parliamentary debate is intended to build national consensus on what he described as one of the country's most consequential policy decisions, and that Parliament should fully consider all available options before any final determination is made.
