Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Garth Wilkin, has mounted a robust defence of the Government’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) reform agenda, telling the National Assembly on Thursday night that the programme was inherited in a state of serious disarray and required decisive action to preserve its credibility, sustainability, and international standing.
Making his contribution to the 2026 Budget Debate, Wilkin described the condition of the CBI programme when the Dr. Terrance Drew-led Labour administration took office as “a total and complete mess,” arguing that years of poor governance, weak pricing discipline, and reputational damage had placed the Federation’s flagship economic programme at risk. He said the Government’s early decisions in 2022 were not optional but necessary if St. Kitts and Nevis was to “save the programme” from further decline.
According to the Attorney General, the administration moved quickly to confront systemic weaknesses, including what he characterised as a regional “race to the bottom” on pricing and oversight. He told Parliament that these practices had undermined confidence in the programme internationally and contributed to heightened scrutiny. “Hard decisions had to be made,” Wilkin said, noting that reform was unavoidable even when it proved politically unpopular.
Central to the reform effort, Wilkin said, was the establishment of a regional regulatory framework through the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA). He credited Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew and his Cabinet with championing the legislation across the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, describing ECCIRA as a historic step toward restoring integrity and consistency in investment migration governance. “This Government took leadership in ending the chaos,” he stated, adding that regional cooperation was essential to protecting the programme’s long-term viability.
Wilkin also rejected claims that the Government’s reforms damaged the CBI programme, arguing instead that failure to act would have caused far greater harm. He pointed to international validation of the Federation’s broader anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework as evidence that governance standards are improving, not deteriorating. In 2025, St. Kitts and Nevis received a regional award from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) recognising excellence in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing compliance.
The Attorney General attributed those gains to coordinated institutional work involving the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the White Collar Crime Unit, supported by international partners including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the United Nations Development Programme, and the European Union–Latin America Programme of Assistance against Transnational Organised Crime (EL PAcCTO).
Wilkin further addressed criticism surrounding specific legacy projects, stating that decisions taken before 2022 had already inflicted reputational damage on the programme. He referenced the Estridge prison development controversy as one of several factors that intensified international concern, stressing that the current administration inherited those consequences and has been working to repair trust. “We did not create those problems,” he told the Assembly. “We had to fix them.”
Throughout his contribution, Wilkin framed CBI reform as part of a wider governance reset under the Labour administration — one that prioritises transparency, enforcement, and regional cooperation over short-term revenue maximisation. He argued that credibility, not volume, must now define the programme’s future if it is to remain a legitimate contributor to national development.
Positioning the reforms within the broader context of the 2026 Budget, the Attorney General said the Government’s approach reflects a clear choice to protect the Federation’s long-term interests, even when that requires restraint. “We made the tough calls,” Wilkin said, insisting that the result is a programme that is stronger, more defensible, and better aligned with global standards.
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