Minister for health and environment Dr Kenneth Darroux has stressed that any myths being spread about Dominica’s citizenship by investment (CBI) programme should be dispelled.

“I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, that we make no apologies for this program. We would have taken note of some of the concerns raised by our citizens and also outside people. We would have heard a number of international agencies, we would have heard the US ambassador recently while she raised areas where we think we can improve on it, but the idea that the CBI programme is this under table programme that ministers and other government officials going around selling passports in briefcases etc, all of this, we need to dispel that notion. It’s a bona fide programme that even the best and some of the more developed countries in the world are engaged in such programmes,” he said.

Darroux reiterated that the programme is a critical source of revenue that is being used to improve the lives of all Dominicans, especially those in the rural communities, and he urged Dominicans to support the citizenship by investment programme.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony of more than $1 million to various village councils in his constituency for infrastructure rehabilitation, Darroux stated that funding from the CBI programme is crucial, especially post-Tropical Storm Erika.

“While I think some people are trying to destroy the programme, we have to, especially those of us living in the rural areas where we see, for example, improvements in our community roads, where monies are helping people with their small businesses, and our washroom programme, we have to appreciate and pray that this programme continues to be as successful as it has been,” he said.

“Without this source of funding, as we speak, none of what we see happening now would be happening… All of this community enhancement is made possible through proceeds from the citizenship by investment programme,” he emphasised.

Source: antiguaobserver.com