‘DESTINY’ STILL TO BE DETERMINED

It’s billed as “the first Special Economic Zone of its kind in the Caribbean”, which its developers say “is expected to substantially increase the GDP of St Kitts & Nevis and the entire Eastern Caribbean.”

The proposed Destiny real estate development project on the island of Nevis - sister island in the twin-state federation of St Kitts and Nevis in the Eastern Caribbean  - has been the subject of intense scrutiny and debate.

Much of the debate revolves around how the development sits within the country’s constitution regarding resolving community disputes among its residents.

The massive project is planned to occupy about 2,400 acres of privately-owned land, comprising about one-tenth of the area of Nevis. The island has an area of 36 square miles (93 square kilometres). By comparison, Grand Cayman is 76 square miles/196 square kilometres.

The billion-plus-dollar Destiny scheme is spearheaded by entrepreneur Olivier Janssens, through the corporate entities Destiny International Limited and South Nevis Ltd. Janssens is a Belgian negative who holds St Kitts & Nevis citizenship.

It proposes to bring over 10,000 people to live on the site, potentially doubling the population of Nevis. The island’s population is approximately 13,000, which is about 25 per cent of the total of the twin-island federation estimated at around 48,000. The population of the larger island St Kitts, the administrative and commercial centre, is about 35,000.

BENEFITS

The developers say they are offering potentially game-changing economic benefits to the island and the federation. These have been listed as: thousands of jobs, $50 million invested into Nevis’ infrastructure, 20 per cent profit share for Nevis, including 10 per cent to the government and an additional 10 per cent for a sovereign wealth fund. The developers are also proposing a direct subsidy of $100 per month to every Nevisian resident if the project is approved.

Much of the debate about the pending project, which is awaiting the go-ahead from the central government based in the St Kitts capital Basseterre, revolves around its libertarian concept and internal dispute resolution elements.

The Nevis local government - administratively the Nevis Island Administration (NIA)- is said to be keen to proceed with the project. 

QUESTIONS

But critics have raised questions about what they consider a lack of transparency regarding the project’s details, and have decried, especially the $100-per-month offer, as bribery.

On its website, the Destiny project addresses some of the core concerns being raised, allaying fears about how it will operate.

In one posed question asking, “Are you a separate country?”, it states: “No. Destiny operates under a special framework similar to other Special Economic Zones but remains fully bound by the Constitution of St. Kitts and Nevis.”

Another one that asks, “Is Destiny open to the public?”, gets the response: “Yes. Nevisians and Kittitians will be able to freely access Destiny - including its beaches.”

The development is presented as “fully integrated with nature; it will use geothermal energy and rainwater for full sustainability.”

TENSIONS

There has been some tension between the Nevis administration and the federal government in St Kitts over the issue. Premier Brantley heads the Concerned Citizens’ Movement(CCM) local administration in Nevis and is the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, the federal Parliament based in St Kitts. The St Kitts federal government is headed by Prime Minister Dr Terrence Drew, leader of the St Kitts Nevis Labour Party(SKNLP).

Over concerns that the federal government was dragging its feet on approving the project, Prime Minister Drew has noted that under the constitution the federal government “does not have a general power over development taking place on Nevis”. However, he reminded that matters pertaining to immigration, courts, and sovereignty concerns fall squarely within federal jurisdiction.

In August last year, the federal government passed a law clearing the way for Special Sustainability Zones(SSVs) with Prime Minister Drew at the time hailing it as “a practical tool to attract foreign direct investment and create long-term job opportunities while protecting our environment.”

However, what has been billed as a “historic milestone” twin-island federation, has additional hurdles to clear over concerns that the Destiny project is seen in some circles as a country-within-a-country.

Constitutional and other issues surrounding the proposed Destiny community real estate development in Nevis are being closely followed by governments and real estate developers across the region, where it is understood that similar models have been discussed.