by STAFF WRITER
JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) is calling on the Antigua and Barbuda government to re-think its decision to allow Iraqi nationals to participate in the country’s citizenship by investment programme (CIP).
UPP leader Harold Lovell is also calling on the government to re-think its move to establish diplomatic relations with the country.
Harold Lovell
“There can be no benefit to the people of Antigua and Barbuda. We have no cultural and we have no trade ties with Iraq.
“What is the benefit to opening an embassy in Bagdad? Iraq as we know is in the midst of a civil war with ISIS and ISIS is in control of large sections of Iraq. We are unnecessarily exposing our country and our people to unnecessary risk.
“Perhaps it may benefit a few individuals financially but it will not benefit the people of Antigua and Barbuda,” he added.
The Gaston Browne administration issued a statement indicating that the island’s product offering stands to benefit significantly as a result of a newly formed alliance between St. John’s and Ambassador Ahmed Abbas Alewi.
It said that the diplomat, who was recently appointed as the Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to Iraq met with Tourism, Economic Development, Investment and Energy Minister Asot Michael Monday and “brought good news of his intended investments in Antigua, chief among which is the proposed project for the development of approximately 93 acres of land at Pensioner’s Beach”.
The statement said that “this development will boast a hotel, luxury housing, a water-park, and an in-door mall with a contained movie-theatre amongst other features and will employ thousands of Antiguans and Barbudans.
It added that in a “few days’ the government will receive five million US dollars with an additional US$10 million advance payment on 50 CIP applications from Ambassador Alwei.
The statement said the entire US$15 million has already been earmarked to go towards the Cruise Port Development Project that will be done in phases.
The statement said “however there will be a total investment of some US$1.5 billion over the next several years” and that talks have also started on a twice weekly flight from Baghdad to Antigua.
“Ambassador Alwei has proposed this as a result of his ownership of two Boeing 737 aircraft which can accommodate up to 197 passengers. This service once negotiations are successful will operate as a charter,” the statement said.
It said that Ambassador Ahmed Abbas Alwei “was a major influence in removing Iraq from the Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP) blacklist” and that he is “a highly accomplished business mogul who has engaged over US$1.2 billion worth of contracts in the Middle East.
The statement said that the diplomat “owns 76,000 housing units in Iraq and 14,000 in Morocco amongst numerous others”.
Lovell said that the opposition party, will in the future, express its position to the government.
