Grenadians could know by March 31 the person selected to run its controversial Citizenship By Investment (CBI) programme which brings in millions of dollars to the Treasury through the sale of passports.
According to a spokesman for the local CBI office, the recruitment process which started around November “is pretty much advanced” and that in the coming weeks the successful applicants will be known.
He said the applications are in and are being subjected to what he called “pre-screening, physco-metric testing, interviewing” and a recommendation will be made to the decision-makers.
“That is ongoing – it is not yet concluded,” he added.
According to the CBI insider, once a person has been selected an announcement will be made to the local media.
“When we get to that point we will make a release so that people can be duly notified. I would suggest that that whole process and somebody known by March 31,” he said.
THE NEW TODAY understands that former CEO of CBI, Percival Clouden who quit the job on the grounds of “health” under the former NNP regime is among persons who applied for the vacant position.
The new CBI boss will be taking up duties as Grenada is now forced to pay particular attention to a new piece of legislation signed into law in the United States known as The Amigos Act which will impact E-2 Visa applicants in which Grenada is a beneficiary State.
There has been no official reaction to the law that was passed in Washington but a government insider described as “propaganda” those opposition operatives who have been predicting a massive loss in revenue to the 7-month old Congress government from passport sales.
“If people understand what the E-2 Visa is and how it works and the rules that the Amigos call for one can always propagandise which is what I think is happening there,” he said.
According to the official, the wording of the 3 year issue “is the cut and thrust of the legislation” and that is what Grenada will focus upon.
He said “the word is not reside, the word is domicile and domicile will have a specific meaning in the legislation so that is where we have to look to.”
“What does domicile mean in the legislation? So I think the first thing is an understanding (and then) one can see what implications if any and what the response should be.”