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CASTRIES, St. Lucia, Oct. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

The Prime Minister of St. Lucia, the Hon. Allen Chastanet, says global investor

interest in the country has not been curtailed by COVID-19. Speaking at the

launch of the St. Lucia Citizenship-by-Investment Program's new brand visual

identity and website, Prime Minister Chastanet said the Caribbean island nation

has been exemplary in its handling of the pandemic, which has served to

increase investor confidence and ensure that applications to the St. Lucia

Citizenship-by-Investment Unit have continued to grow, with an impressive

double-digit percentage increase in applicants in recent months.

"The current crisis has caused many business owners and investors to realize

that they can operate remotely and that there's no need to be based in the big

cities. St. Lucia's high-speed broadband network and direct flights to the US

and London enable easy access to the rest of the world. Our uncompromising

commitment to the highest standards of good governance, coupled with favorable

head office legislative provision, makes it attractive for companies to move

their headquarters to St. Lucia. We are still on track to meet our target of

doubling our GDP in the next six years," explains Prime Minister Chastanet.

Nestor Alfred, CEO of the St. Lucia Citizenship-by-Investment Unit, says there

are various options available to investors looking to secure citizenship of the

country, starting at USD 100,000. "We offer significant return on investment at

a competitive investment level, with visa-free access to 146 destinations

worldwide, but our dedication to ensuring rigorous due diligence and

accountability at the highest level across comparable options is what really

underpins this strategic investment. The long-term growth and legacy options

that St. Lucia offers can yield ongoing and exponential value for international investors."

In May, St. Lucia was the first Caribbean country to announce a new investment

option for a limited time in response to the coronavirus pandemic. To qualify

for citizenship via the COVID-19 Relief Bond option, which runs until 31 December

2020, an individual is required to make a minimum investment of USD 250,000 in

a non–interest-bearing government bond that needs to be held for five years.

Prime Minister Chastanet explains that inflows from the program are placed into

a national economic fund managed by an independent board and are used to build

capacity, reduce debt, and make capital investments in St. Lucia. "Everything

that the country was focused on pre-COVID has become even more relevant now:

investment in education, building an e-government platform, simplification of

the tax regime, investment in infrastructure, modernization of the security

force and of the judicial system, and broadening the tourism offering. The

citizenship-by-investment program can be a key source of funding in helping us

to facilitate these developments, which is why we are constantly and vigorously

engaging with key external stakeholders, including governments and

supra-national organizations, to ensure that our investors retain the

international market access that drove their initial investment decision."

Media Contact:

Tajma Brown

St. Lucia Citizenship-by-Investment Unit

media@cipsaintlucia.com

+1-758-458-6050

www.cipsaintlucia.com

Source:  St Lucia Citizenship-by-Investment Unit