BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PRIME MINISTER Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris, during his address yesterday (Jun. 30) in Parliament, informed that the Team Unity Government is looking into a number of concerns including the management of escrow accounts.
Dr. Harris also informed that Government has concerns in the funds accrued under the previous Administration through the Citizenship By Investment Programme (CBI) and reiterated his Administration’s position on reform of that programme.
“Reforms, which we have promised with respect to this important programme, have started. IPSA International conducted a study of our programme and provided 20 recommendations which we agreed to implement fully. No to cherry pick, not to choose which of these we will implement, because we have to give the programme credibility with the critical stakeholder groups.”
He told the House that Cabinet had taken the decision to add three more recommendations to the 20, which would be the subject of engagement with local stakeholders in the near future.
Speaking to the escrow accounts, Dr. Harris said: “There are many issues relating to the management of escrow accounts and we warned some of the practicing people about these escrow accounts...the quality of real estate developments and be advised that those that are of poor quality, they ought to be enhanced.”
He also said his Administration is concerned about the use of the CBI Programme for condominium development as against real hotel development in the country.
“And, of course,” he added, “we are concerned that the past Administration embarked on the sale of individual homes as CBI projects and we intended to address that. For the time being, the Cabinet has stayed the granting of approval for persons to sell individual properties under the CBI Programme.
Dr. Harris said they were advised that the policy had no basis in law and it did very little for the country as a whole. “But, more perniciously, it created an unlevelled playing field where the Government then chose whose properties would benefit and thereby discriminated against all others.”
The Prime Minister also informed the House that government officials had reported the disgustful manner in the way some applicants were favoured and that the CBI Unit is now equipped with a modern state-of-the-art software that puts it at the leading edge.
“I am advised by the head of that Unit that the special elements, worthy being mentioned at this sitting, are the enhanced functionality of the new system. And she identified that I should speak to the integrated secure system that will now enable service providers to submit their applications electronically to the CIU office.”
He explained that enhanced security is embedded at all levels of the software and the network, which would allow the CIU to capture, process, manage and store clients applications in a secure manner that is readily accessible to authorised persons.
Dr. Harris further explained that it also has the ability to generate real-time statistics and reports, including the financial system and summary reports.
“Of course, the reporting of statistics has been a very difficult burden at that Unit, and I am pleased now to be advised by the head that we are now on the good road in relation to that,” he added.
The Federation’s political leader noted that the system also has the ability to capture electronic signatures for the processing of applications and disaster recovery features second to none.
“Additionally,” Dr. Harris said, “as the reform continues, I am happy to report that this week an advanced team from IPSA will be on the ground assisting us in the implementation of those 20 elements of reform required to give us the best CBI Unit.”
He reiterated Team Unity’s promise made during the elections campaign, noting that among them are enhanced efficiency, better customer service and an energised Citizenship Unit as a result of these reforms. “These, of course, will not come overnight, they will come in time. The reform will touch all areas of the organisation.”
Prime Minister Harris declared that his Government is seeking advice and a new governance arrangement for the SIDF and that before September Cabinet would make an informed judgment, while continuing the SIDF’s finance programmes and budgets.
Dr. Harris pointed to the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) fund as another major concern of his Administration.
While in opposition, he had labelled the SIDF as a slush fund on the behest of former Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Doulas.
He stressed that the situation with respect to the SIDF is “tenuous and difficult”.
“And in order to protect certain confidences and not to create irreparable damage for several entities, I cannot at this time disclose too much. But I can say is that both the financial position of the SIDF, the level of commitments and the nature of several arrangements and contracts in which it engaged are mind-boggling, to say the least, and in my view were never contemplated nor executed in the public’s interest.”
Prime Minister Harris intoned that his Government is certain the SIDF could not continue in the unsatisfactory ways of the past. “And we cannot allow it to continue on its wayward path, but we must now, fearfully, for the risks are high.”
