GRENADA- Politicians urged to stop using investment program as a political football

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – The President and CEO of Arton Capital, Armand Arton, has called on politicians, especially those in opposition parties, to stop using the citizenship by investment programs as a political football before elections because their utterances are not only damaging the program but the image of the countries offering migration programs

“Politicians, please stop using our industry as a political football before elections. Before a general election, every opposition party promises to stop the program with damaging facts about how it works. Still, when they come into power, they never stop it,” said Arton, who spoke on “The Innovation Imperative for Caribbean CBI resilience” at the Caribbean Investment Summit 2024, which opened here on Thursday.

In an interview following his presentation, Arton, who founded his company in 2006, said, “No politician must ever blame the CBI or CIP for problems in a country and then promise to stop the programs if they get into power. They are all continuing them, but the damage to the program is already done.”

“The damage is the reputation of the program, and that is making it something that has lost its value,” said Arton, whose company is a global citizenship financial advisory services firm based in Montreal, Canada.

Arton elaborated on the repercussions, stating, “The negative portrayal of the program in the news not only affects its standing but also casts a shadow on the country’s image. Diplomats, who are key observers, are now expressing concerns due to the negative narratives they encounter before elections.” 

The 2024 Caribbean Investment Summit is the first since 2020 COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. 

With the theme of “Resilience: Strengthening the Adaptability and Sustainability of Caribbean Investment Migration in the Face of Global Market Changes and Increasing Scrutiny from the EU, UK, and USA,” the Summit is described as the paramount Summit for Caribbean Citizenship by Investment community, which is uniquely positioned to address the evolving challenges and advancements in the sector.