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Vol. 33, Issue 16 Brooklyn Edition April 21-27, 2022
By Bert Wilkinson
The European Union (EU) has
warned Malta, one of its own
family member states, that it
is unhappy with its cash for
passport and citizenship scheme
that resembles programs several
Eastern Caribbean nations have
in place, warning that it may
soon take the country to court
to determine the way forward.
Located 50 miles south of Sicily
in Italy, Malta now has two
months to respond to a legal
note the EU has sent to it. The
warning and threats of legal
action have come less than a
month after participating Caribbean
countries made moves
to fend off impending EU and
US action to either cripple or
to severely undermine the lifesaving
Caribbean by Investment
Program (CIP).
Seen as a warning of things to
come, both the EU and the US
have made it clear that they are
uncomfortable with the alleged
unsatisfactory abilities of CARICOM
CIP countries to conduct
proper and thorough background
checks on applications
for the so-called golden passport
and citizenship scheme.
Some countries like Antigua
have also proposed moves to
fend off any EU-US action by
offering to adjust the program to
also allow applications to apply
for residency status rather than
citizenship. In that way, those
who apply will be treated as
long term tourists or professionals
working remotely away from
home but covered by residency
credentials.
Antigua has also proposed
that the participating Eastern
Caribbean countries — St. Kitts,
Dominica, St. Lucia, and Grenada
work to establish a regional
CIP regulatory body that would
oversee the programs, allow the
EU and US to related to a regionally
endorsed body and give the
west the type of assurances it
needs to allow the program to
New York-based Guyanese Barbara and Robin Williams in a loving embrace, during their
auspicious 35th wedding anniversary in the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown,
Guyana. See story on Page 25. Photo by Tangerine Clarke
Hochul approves first adult-use Cannabis
Conditional Cultivation Licenses
By Nelson A. King
Gov. Kathy Hochul last Thursday
announced that the Cannabis
Control Board approved 52 adultuse
Cannabis Conditional Cultivator
Licenses across the state.
Hochul said these are the first
adult-use cannabis licenses granted
in New York State, and that
they advance the Seeding Opportunity
Initiative.
The approved licenses are from
a pool of more than 150 that have
been submitted to the Office of
Cannabis Management (OCM) following
the March 15 opening of
the online application portal.
The governor said the OCM will
continue to review applications on
a rolling basis and will work to get
them to the Board for approval as
quickly as possible.
In February, Hochul signed
legislation creating the Cannabis
Conditional Cultivator Licenses.
“New York’s farms have been
the backbone of our state’s economy
since before the American
Revolution, and now, New York’s
farms will be at the center of the
most equitable cannabis industry
in the nation,” she said.
Continued on Page 3 Continued on Page 14
Happy Anniversary
GOLDEN
PASSPORT
SCHEME
EU moves on Malta, eyes
CARICOM states
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