November 6, 2015 -- The St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) Unit now has a computerized application management system that is best-in-class in the world. So said Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris at his most recent press conference this week Tuesday.
“I want to hail the case management system which we have been able to introduce so that for the first time this Unit will be accessible to those who require support and service 24 hours per day/7 days per week. We unveiled this system on the 16th of October at the Marriott Hotel. We wait to see the tremendous transformation and results which this would bring to our program. We say no one in the region, no one in the world now offer this particular service.”
Dr. Harris was at the time given a backdrop to the changes that were necessary to protect a programme that had become the linchpin of social and economic life in the country but which had become plagued with problems as a consequence of mismanagement under the previous administration. “The citizens and residents are aware that the Team Unity administration inherited a Citizenship-by-Investment programme that was bedeviled with problems – organizational and structural in nature.
The programme had lost the confidence and support of the citizens and residents of the country who had become intolerant with the scandal plagued programme and repulsed by the incompetence and the dishonesty of the last administration which led to open condemnation of the programme by the government of the United States of America (USA)…in November of that year the public announcement coming from the government of Canada, again condemning the programme and as a consequence alerting us that our visa free access to Canada would be immediately withdrawn”, said PM Harris.
The Prime Minister openly acknowledged that the CBI program was under pressure, a situation which was harmful to the wellbeing of the country and people of St. Kitts and Nevis. Immediate change was thus an imperative. “The programme, as it were, was under pressure internally, organizationally and externally in terms of the international community condemning the programme and taking some dramatic actions which brought harm and disadvantage to the good citizens and holders of our passports.
Symptomatic of things falling apart, weaknesses were discovered in the quality assurance mechanism not only of the management system at the unit but for the real estate market and the escrow management system begged for a legislative response. Service providers, developers and agents knew in their hearts and in their minds that what pertained then was not sustainable. Change then had to come and change came on February 16, 2015. For that we all say to God be the glory.”
At Tuesday’s press conference PM Harris emphasized the fact that while undertaking the challenging task of transition and consolidation of the people’s government, his administration continues to work quietly, diligently and positively, at home and abroad, in the sole interest of the country and that new approach has resulted in tremendous progress being made in giving a fresh start to our CBI programme. This is evidenced by the implementation of the global standard-setting Citizen Application Management System (CAMS).
Just over two weeks ago, October 19 to be exact, during a presentation at the GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP SEMINAR in Miami organised by Henley and Partners, PM Harris spoke proudly of the leading edge CAMS and the organizational changes his administration has made in order to optimize the new system for the benefit of all stakeholders. “We have bolstered the management of the Citizenship-Investment-Unit. We have added staff, given everybody training courses, and initiated organizational changes that allow for a more client-focused team.”
The CAMS, he said, has been well received by all. “We have also adopted a new citizen case management system, the first of its kind in the Caribbean, which will give a faster turn-around for applications. This system allows 24-hour access for the input of applications, as well as tracking of applications as they work through the system…at the prestigious St. Kitts Marriott, we launched this new case management system in the presence of service providers, developers, agents and officials of government as well as representatives of industry and commerce. It was warmly received. We are continuing the leadership ways of St. Kitts and Nevis and we are doing this in a transparent way.”
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