Roosevelt Skerrit takes issue with "tax havens" label for Caribbean states

Dominica's Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, has criticised the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for labeling several Caribbean countries tax havens.

He is calling for a unified regional approach to deal with the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI).

Dominica and several Caribbean countries, including St. Kitts-Nevis, Grenada, St. Lucia and Antigua & Barbuda use the CBI to attract foreign investments by providing citizenship to those persons making a significant contribution to the socio-economic development of these countries.

Late last year, the Paris-based OECD, an inter-governmental economic organisation with 36 member countries, said the CBI initiatives threaten international efforts to combat tax evasion.

The OECD blacklisted several Caribbean countries, namely Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Kitts-Nevis.