Senator: Dominica opposition 'have no clue' on successful CBI programme

The official opposition in Dominica were criticised in the House of Assembly yesterday, with one government senator accusing them of spending the whole year attacking the island's citizenship by investment (CBI) programme.

And after barbs were aimed at the opposition United Workers' Party leader, Lennox Linton, he appealed to the Speaker for a withdrawal.

In a debate over the latest supplementary appropriation, Senator Jahisiah Benoit said that of the approximately $150 million dollars in the budget, almost $50 million had been allocated to the country's CBI programme.

This money was a "necessary investment", he added, and later explained the importance to reinvesting each year the successful scheme continues.

Turning his attention to the opposition, he said: "This point must be underscored. The opposition likes to bash our citizenship by investment programme. In fact the honourable leader of the opposition has made it his work this year, from January 1st to present day, to continue to try and malign and scandalise our citizenship by investment programme."

Following this statement, Linton interrupted – though appears at first to have been unsure about the topic.

“The member has indicated that since January I have made it some, words to the effect, point of duty to destroy some programme or the other," he said.

"I am raising a point of order objection at section 44. The member is imputing improper motive. He knows what he said. I want him to withdraw the statement.

"He attacked the leader of the opposition personally for destroying the CBI programme since January this year. That is factually incorrect, Madam Speaker."

Benoit denied a personal attack on Linton, instead clarifying that “we can see the opposition has, since January 1st, [been] on the course of criticising our citizenship by investment programme.

“Everyone has a right to criticise but they haven’t been doing it constructively."

The senator referenced a recent promotion trip to Dubai, organised by the prime minister, and stated that the total cost to send a delegation was around $250,000.

This amount was “not an extravagance” within a budget of $50 million.

"$50million is a significant investment, and it should show to every Dominican that the resources we are raising through the citizenship by investment programme do not come by easily," said Benoit.

"In fact we have to also reinvest into this programme so it can continue to generate the revenue we need to build our roads, to build our homes, to provide for the sanitation programme."

Strategist absent

In a further embarrassing exchange for the opposition, Benoit remarked that their "so-called economic strategist" Senator Thompson Fontaine was notably absent from the chamber.

Benoit told the house that he had been informed that Fontaine was overseas in South Sudan.

"Where is he to contribute to this debate? After all the negatives they have put towards the citizenship by investment programme," said Benoit.

“It shows they have no clue how to manage such a programme. They don’t know the steps required in managing it, promoting it, in making sure there is adequate due diligence and investing in it. Not just taking money and spending money."