St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Godwin Friday has announced plans for the country to introduce a Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme by the middle of 2026.

Speaking during his budget presentation on Monday, Friday said the move comes as the country seeks new ways to finance development while managing the economic vulnerabilities faced by small island states.

The Prime Minister noted that high climate resilience costs and fiscal pressures have made it necessary for the government to explore non-traditional sources of capital.

“It is in this context, Madam Speaker, that I announce the Government’s firm intention to launch a Citizenship by Investment Programme by the middle of 2026,” Friday said.

He emphasised that the programme would not prioritise quick revenue generation but instead focus on long-term national development.

“Let me be clear from the outset: this will not be a revenue-at-all-costs programme. It will be a sovereign capital mobilisation strategy, designed to strengthen national resilience, reduce debt dependence, and finance long-term development—and it will be built on a foundation of uncompromising integrity.”

Strict due diligence framework

Friday said the programme would adopt some of the most stringent regional and international standards from its inception. 

He noted that the government intends to position the initiative as a secure and reputable option within the global investment migration sector.

“Our programme will be positioned deliberately as secure and reputable, and fully aligned with emerging international norms,” he said.

“We will not compete on volume. We will not compromise on standards. And we will not trade reputation for short-term gain.”

Creation of national investment fund

The government also announced that all funds generated through the programme will be channelled into a dedicated investment vehicle known as the St Vincent and the Grenadines Investment Fund (SVGIF).

Friday said the fund will be legally established and ring-fenced to ensure transparency and accountability.

“All proceeds from the programme will be channelled through a legislatively established and ring-fenced vehicle: the St Vincent and the Grenadines Investment Fund (SVGIF),” he said.

“This Fund will ensure that 100 per cent of non-debt capital mobilised is directed exclusively to verifiable, long-term productive expenditure—not recurrent spending, and not political discretion.”

Focus on resilience and development

Under the proposed Fiscal Resilience and Expenditure Protocol, funds from the programme will be directed toward climate-resilient infrastructure, public investment projects and key productive sectors aimed at strengthening the country’s competitiveness.

Additional funding is expected to support social infrastructure such as healthcare, education and technical training, as well as debt reduction and emergency financial buffers for natural disasters and economic shocks.

Friday stressed that the programme is designed to support sustainable development rather than serve as a short-term financial solution.

“This is not discretionary spending. It is structured investment. It is resilience by design,” he said.

He added that the initiative reflects the government’s broader strategy to secure long-term economic stability while maintaining strong governance and transparency standards.

“This programme reflects a deliberate choice: to finance development without mortgaging the future, to strengthen resilience without expanding debt, and to mobilise capital without compromising our good name,” Friday said.

“This is not about passports. It is about resilience. And it is about leaving a tangible, transformative legacy for generations yet to come.”