The CBI debate: an entrepreneur’s perspective on prosperity and possibility

By Marlon Bute, entrepreneur, construction worker, writer

In recent weeks, citizenship by investment (CBI) has once again ignited spirited debate in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Four legal scholars, Dr. Jason Haynes, Mikhail Charles, Luke Browne, and Guevara Leacock, each offered important perspectives on the issue, adding intellectual depth to a conversation long dominated by political narratives. But amid the legal theory, constitutional commentary, and political loyalties, I believe it is time to hear from the business community, from those of us who, quite literally, build in and on this country.

Dr. Haynes made perhaps the most direct and unapologetic call for the adoption of a CBI programme in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He situated his argument not just in economics but in history, invoking the injustices of slavery and colonialism and the lack of compensation or restitution for centuries of labour extracted from our ancestors. For him, CBI represents a modern tool of economic liberation. He made the case that countries like ours, long shackled by underdevelopment and underinvestment, have a right and indeed a duty to use every lawful means available to transform our society.

Mikhail Charles approached the issue from a constitutional lens, pointing out that our laws already empower the prime minister to confer citizenship without requiring input from any parliamentary body. That authority, he argued, should be refined, enhanced with greater transparency and public oversight. But crucially, the legal machinery exists. What remains is political will and a clear strategy for its execution.

Luke Browne, long associated with the current administration, reiterated the Gonsalves-led Unity Labour Party’s longstanding opposition to CBI, rooted in the belief that citizenship is sacred and not for sale. That position, while consistent, has increasingly come under question as OECS neighbours harness CBI revenues to build roads, schools, hospitals, and climate-resilience programmes, while St. Vincent and the Grenadines continues to borrow for development.

Guevara Leacock, meanwhile, offered a grounded economic analysis, showing how a well-regulated CBI programme could boost foreign direct investment, create jobs, and reduce the strain on public finances. It is here, in the realm of economic growth and job creation, that I wish to anchor my own perspective, not as a lawyer or a politician, but as a business owner, a tradesman, and a son of this soil.

I am the founder of District Stairs SVG Ltd., a retail and renovation company specialising in premium flooring, staircases, railings, kitchen and bathroom upgrades, and quality finishing materials. We hire local. We invest local. We pay local. Every dollar earned in St. Vincent stays in St. Vincent. So when I think about a programme like CBI, which has brought hundreds of millions into the economies of Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Lucia , I cannot help but ask: Why not us?

Imagine what an infusion of $100 million annually could do for our private sector, for businesses like mine that depend on a healthy, active economy. With more resources circulating among consumers, the construction and renovation industries could thrive. More Vincentians would be able to afford to build or upgrade homes, invest in property, and improve their communities. More companies could hire, train, and expand. Government would have more fiscal space and less pressure to increase VAT or raise taxes.

The revenue from CBI can be used to fund sustainable development. We’ve heard concerns for years about the programme’s longevity, but the fact is it has lasted over 40 years in the region and remains one of the most profitable, low-cost, high-return tools available to small island states.

So, the real question is not whether it’s sustainable, but whether it’s profitable. And the answer is yes. Which means we can use the earnings to build long-term sustainability, agriculture, agri-processing, food security, fisheries, poultry production, coconut oil refinement, and climate-smart farming.

In agribusiness, this means facilities to cure fish, to produce salted or cut fish for export. It means plants that turn mangoes, guavas, golden apples, plumroses, and soursops into juices. It means reviving the arrowroot sector, producing biscuits, cereals, and natural drinks. It means a modern abattoir that promotes health and supports livestock. It means cooperatives where our fisherfolk and farmers own the process, from harvesting to processing, packaging, marketing, and export.

That’s what we’re talking about. That’s what a wisely managed CBI fund could make possible. We would wipe out poverty. It could literally transform lives. If we’ve come this far with so little, imagine what we could do with more.

We can invest in skills training: carpentry, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, tiling, masonry. Not only for the local market, but for export. Skilled Vincentians can work across the region and diaspora. We can reduce our food import bill. We can invest in water harvesting. In solar energy. In our future.

More money. A bigger economy. More investments. More jobs. Higher incomes. More disposable income. More food on the kitchen table. More savings. More dignity.

As for due diligence, risk mitigation, and compliance, let the lawyers, the lawmakers, the politicians, and the law enforcement officials do their jobs. Let them address the risks, uphold the law, and ensure the integrity of the process. The businesspeople, service providers, and workers will do the rest. We will earn. We will grow this country. We will take it to heights it has never risen to. We will create a prosperous society, one in which successive generations have a solid foundation on which success is guaranteed, with the right attitude, with hard work, and with smart work.

Yes. It is time we hear from the masons, the welders, the merchants, the renovators, the retailers, the fishers, the farmers, the processors, the seamstresses, the musicians, the painters, the taxi drivers, the truckers, and the operators of transport companies. The ones who represent the engine of growth. The ones who do the work. The ones who will touch the money. The ones who will move this economy forward.

I am one of them. An entrepreneur. A construction worker. A writer. And I believe the time has come.

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