Prime Minister comments on Economic Citizenship Program
News Five’s Stewart Krohn asked Belize’s Prime Minister about the status of the Economic Citizenship Program inherited from the previous administration and how the Taiwanese Prime Minister feels about the program. Foreign Minister Chee Chan Hoo was also asked for his perspective.
Said Musa, Prime Minister
“Well the program that was initiated by the last administration is still in place. That continues. Our commitment in our manifesto, well it’s not really in the manifesto, but it’s certainly a commitment given during our political campaign, was that this issue would eventually be put for a decision to the Belizean people in a referendum, because it had become a controversial issue. So that’s one of the matters that will be put to a referendum. That is the position of the Belize government.”
Vincent C. Siew, Prime Minister, Taiwan
“I haven’t heard of any, I’m sorry I haven’t heard of any news on my side that they are buying, so-called economic passports. I don’t see eye to eye with what you are saying but anyhow I must say…”
Q: “Excuse me Prime Minister when you say you don’t see eye to eye, it means you do not accept the premise that Taiwanese are buying Belize passports or that you don’t believe that?”
Vincent C. Siew
“We don’t have any information about that, okay. But I must say that in our country, under the nationalities law, we allow dual nationalities, citizens. So any of our citizen in any country, resident country, he is not resident citizen, nationality citizenship can also keep visa. So I don’t see any reason why we should change our law. That’s what I can say. Jason can you help me with what I can comment on this.”
Chee Chan Hoo, Foreign Minister, Taiwan
“I think what the Prime Minister was trying to say is that this has never been an issue on our agenda. There are over thirty million overseas Chinese all around the world. Many of them have residence or citizenship in the country where they reside so what you call economic citizens program in this country is perhaps mixed in that huge phenomenon. We have not paid specific attention to that problem.”
Q: “It’s not overseas Chinese who buy the passports, because most of the passports the Belize government has sold are held in fact by Taiwanese citizen residing in Taiwan. My question to the Prime Minister, is simply how does he feel about this?”
Chee Chan Hoo
“Right, as I said, we have thirty million people who may be holding the passports, so the number of people who have fallen into your category have not been given serious concern, right. Do you have a number? So, it may be a few hundred, out of the thirty million, that’s what we’re trying to tell you. We hope you understand. Thank you.”
Following the press conference Prime Minister Siew and his eighty-member delegation left for California. During the twenty-four hour visit the delegation met with members of Belize’s business community and viewed projects funded by the government of Taiwan.
