Ladies and gentlemen
Fellow citizens at home and abroad, residents and well-wishers; compatriots all
It is my distinct ongoing honour to continue to lead this nation which has taken its place among the pantheon of nations; a small but proud nation where we continue to build a society and community dedicated to lifting our people from poverty and further empowering each and every one of you.
This journey continues, even against many setbacks, including global health challenges; and even though we are sometimes wobbled by the consequences of climate change and a sometimes-hostile world economic environment.
Even against those odds, our economy continues to be one of the strongest growing economies in the sub-region. Our Gross Domestic Product has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
We are continuing to expand with fresh investments and opportunities in tourism, alternative energy, small manufacturing, agriculture, and fisheries.
Dominica is increasingly being seen as one of the most progressive nations in this region; and a safe destination where people can visit, and where our people can live and raise their families.
Only recently we proudly hosted the international cricket match featuring West Indies and India; and while we, as regional supporters of the team, were not satisfied with the game’s outcome, our ability as host has been hailed far and wide.
As a people, we could not be prouder of the achievement of our local star Alick Athanaze, who on debut for the West Indies has shown glimpses of a rare ability that could provide new hope for the regional team seeking to find its way back to the top after a long period of underachievement and disappointment.
We remain confident and hopeful that a new star has risen.
I have just returned from the EU-CELAC Summit in Brussels, where leaders from the Caribbean and wider Latin America met over two days with European leaders.
We were able to cover several key areas including issues of food security, climate change, sustainable development, and the Haitian crisis.
The European Union has promised more assistance to the Caribbean and Latin America, committing to spend over 45 billion Euros between now and 2027 through over 100 potential projects.
Dominica stands to benefit from the financing of climate change and sustainable development initiatives, including that of clean energy.
I recently assumed the chairmanship of CARICOM, armed with a bold and aggressive agenda to ensure the deepening of the regional integration movement.
By March next year, all Dominicans – and not just special categories of people – will be able to move freely among the many nations which are members of CARICOM.
This Caribbean shall increasingly become your home – and the home of all its peoples – free to live, work and play.
We have come to understand that the ability to seamlessly move people, goods, and services around the region and beyond are crucial elements of the developmental agenda which we pursue.
We understand and accept that the issue of immigration is multiple-layered, and it is both a challenge and an opportunity for all nations.
It is the vital ingredient for world economic growth, and indeed, inherently for peace and stability.
Every nation will rightly continuously review its own immigration policies and attitudes to address what it sees as contemporary challenges, and indeed opportunities. We have done the same and will continue to do so.
The decision of the United Kingdom to suspend visa-free access to the UK for holders of passports from a number of countries, including Dominica, must be understood in that general context.
The British Government has made it clear that this decision to suspend VISA-free access, does not represent a deterioration of relations between our two nations; nor is it indicative of any diplomatic or other fallout. They have cited concerns with our CBI programme and I wish to assure the Dominican people that several changes have already been made to the structure and management of our program and in the weeks and months ahead, we will continue to implement additional measures to strengthen the programme.
We take this matter very seriously and will increase our efforts in showcasing our robust due diligence and risk mitigation efforts on all fronts.
The Commonwealth of Dominica has some of the most proactive and robust due diligence processes and vets everyone looking to attain second or alternative citizenship in the country. This vetting process is multi-layered and handled by top-rated due diligence agencies based in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Dominica has taken the lead in this region in seeking regional coordination on the various CBI programmes and in discussing ways to safeguard all of these programmes.
Our nation implemented the six CBI Principles proposed by the United States, including the implementation of mandatory interviews for applicants 16 years and older for its Citizenship by Investment Programme.
This step highlights the country’s commitment to cooperating with international stakeholders and increasing due diligence processes, with the aim of reducing threats posed by illicit actors.
As a Small Island Developing State, Dominica has used funds from its CBI programme to address the devastating impacts of climate change on our island, to boost our self-reliance – transforming our economy, driving growth, enhancing our climate resilience and empowering local communities.
In the US-Caribbean roundtable that was recently held, it was noted that dismantling CBI programmes would severely compromise the prosperity and prospects of the nations that run these programmes, triggering a plethora of negative socio-economic consequences.