CASTRIES, St. Lucia — The Cabinet in St. Lucia has appointed a task force to determine whether the country should establish an economic citizenship program.
In the 2014 Throne Speech, Governor General Dame Pearlette Louisy announced that the government would begin to examine whether St. Lucia should establish an economic citizenship program as a new area of investment. She said that a task force consisting of people from various sectors would be appointed to review, consult and advise the Cabinet on the desirability of establishing such a program.
“The time has arrived for us to examine the case for defining and broadening the framework under which citizenship might be offered as part of investing in St. Lucia; and if we should think that it is a viable option, then under what circumstances we should do so,” Louisy said at the time. “It is my government’s hope that this matter will be addressed with urgency during the current parliamentary year.”
She added that the task force will comprise “persons from various sectors including the opposition, the private sector, the trade unions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to examine the programs of other countries and to make recommendations for the consideration of Cabinet.”
On Aug. 4, the Cabinet approved an eight-member task force, which is to submit a report to the prime minister by Dec. 1.
One of the task force members is George Deterville, director of security in the ministry of public service, information and broadcasting, who is currently a defendant in a civil action case brought in U.S. federal court earlier this year by former government minister and current member of parliament for Castries Central, Richard Frederick.
Frederick is claiming compensatory and punitive damages of $25 million in relation to the revocation in 2011 of his diplomatic and non-immigrant U.S. visas.
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