The New Democratic Party (NDP) of Saint Vincent & The Grenadines (SVG) has said that if they win the general election in November 2025, they’ll roll out a citizenship by investment (CBI) program.
This proposal really stands out compared to how the current administration has turned down CBI programs.
NDP leader Dr. Godwin Friday shared the plan at the party’s recent convention in Petit Bordel, brushing off the criticisms about “selling passports” and highlighting that the program’s benefits would go straight to the people, not into his own pocket.
The NDP’s CBI program would let foreign nationals gain citizenship by contributing to the country’s socio-economic development.
Friday promised that they would keep a close eye on the program and that it would “meet the highest levels of scrutiny,” highlighting how transparent it is. He emphasised that the funds would help public servants and people on public assistance, not politicians.
The NDP hasn’t really shared any specific details about how the program is set up, what it costs, or who can qualify for it.
Right now, SVG’s passport is sitting at 23rd in the world, giving you visa-free access to 157 places around the globe, including the EU and the UK.
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has always been against CBI programs.
Gonsalves believes that CBI programs are not a viable long-term economic strategy. During a July 2023 interview, he pointed out that people who relied on CBI programs for their economic strategy are now dealing with the fallout from that choice.
The Prime Minister is worried, and it’s partly because the UK recently decided to take away visa-free access for people holding passports from Dominica and Vanuatu, mainly because of security concerns. Gonsalves argues that these programs just aren’t sustainable and can’t really support economic development or help with budget financing.
Friday responds to these points by highlighting successful CBI programs in nearby countries. He mentions that Saint Kitts & Nevis and Dominica are able to implement specific policies since their CBI programs take care of the related expenses.
Recent polling shows a close contest for the November 2025 election, with the ULP slightly ahead of the NDP (33.7% compared to 30.1%), and Friday’s approval ratings are almost equal to PM Gonsalves’.
Nisha McIntyre of My Grenada Solutions emphasizes that if SVG decides to create a CBI program, it should align with the standards set by other countries in the region.
She stresses the importance of SVG joining the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) that the five Caribbean countries currently offering CIPs (Dominica, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Antigua & Barbuda) have signed. This agreement standardizes investments, security, and collaboration among these nations.
