Prime Minister Gaston Browne has issued a strong rebuke to what he described as “political operatives” spreading misinformation about Antigua and Barbuda’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme, warning that partisan attacks are putting the country’s economic future at risk.Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Caribbean Investment Summit, Browne said the continued peddling of falsehoods and speculation about the CBI scheme had created “anxieties” among international partners and subjected the programme to “unjustifiable ridicule.”
“Our sub-regional Citizenship by Investment Programmes are so important to nation building and the advancement of our people, that they should not be the subject of battleground partisan politics,” the Prime Minister said.
He cautioned that the dissemination of disinformation for political gain serves “no useful purpose” and undermines confidence in a programme that plays a vital role in supporting public infrastructure, climate resilience, education, and healthcare across the twin-island nation.The CBI programme has come under increased scrutiny globally in recent years, with concerns raised by North American and European governments about the potential misuse of such schemes.
Antigua and Barbuda, alongside other Caribbean nations, has undertaken a series of reforms, including enhanced due diligence, sanctions screening, and the introduction of residency requirements.
