Caribbean Times 4th Issue - Thursday 23rd February 2017

4 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g
Thursday 23rd February 2017
CIU ventures into new markets
By Everton Barnes
The Citizenship By Investment
Unit, which oversees
the Citizenship by Investment
Programme (CIP),
says it is looking at new
markets for investment into
the country.
Chief Executive Officer,
Chisanga Chekwe, made
the disclosure following a
recent trip that saw him visit
several countries in Africa,
the Middle East and China.
But according to the
CEO Nigeria is showing
much potential as a new
market for the CIP. He
noted that the country, the
most populous in Africa,
has a large middle class
and a purchasing power of
approximately US$20 billion
annually. Additionally,
he revealed that studies
showed that Nigerians have
surpassed Saudi Arabians
as the top spenders in one of
the most expensive areas of
London.
He noted that China remains
the main source of
applications under the programme,
and while Chekwe
believes that this would remain
so for the foreseeable
future, he is of the view that
it is in the country’s interest
to diversify and to explore
new markets.
Chekwe said the Antigua
and Barbuda passports are
highly valued internationally
because they provide
visa-free entry into over one
hundred and thirty countries.
He noted that Henley
and Partners, the internationally
respected firm that
specializes in this area, now
ranks Antigua and Barbuda’s
CIP as number three in
the world and number one
in the Caribbean.
He said this is because of
its robust due diligence protocols
that are some of the
most thorough anywhere.
He announced that there
are no plans to loosen the
screening process nor in his
words ‘cheapen’ the Antigua
and Barbuda passport.
Last year, Antigua and
Barbuda raised approximately
US$100 million
from the CIP and according
to Chekwe already the signs
are there that this year will
be a good one as well.
Efforts intensify to
combat Anti-Microbial
Resistance (AMR)
By Joanna Paris
Antigua and Barbuda will be receiving international assistance
to counter Anti- Microbial Resistance (AMR) and
establishment of a Public Health Laboratory.
AMR is the ability of microorganisms like bacteria, viruses
and parasites to resist antibiotics and antivirals.
To further combat AMR, the Ministry of Health and Environment
has been in discussions with the Fleming Fund in
England and other leading British medical officials about the
possibility of setting up a Public Health Laboratory facility
here.
Minister of Health and Environment, the Hon. Molwyn
Joseph said that the Fleming Fund is an institute that works
to strengthen the surveillance of drug resistance and laboratory
capacity in developing countries.
“Last November, my delegation met Mrs. Penny Walker-Robertson
of the Institute and she in turn introduced us
to Professor Neil Woodford, Head of the AMR Unit at Public
Health England and Ms. Nadine Shetty. Both Professor
Woodford and Ms. Shetty are scheduled to come to Antigua
in May for further discussions”, he said.
The Minister also expressed thanks to the country’s High
Commissioner in the UK, Karen-Mae Hill, whose interventions,
he said, facilitated the contacts with the British medical
fraternity.
cont’d on pg 5