Meet Robert Wilkinson, Grant Thornton Antigua

ROBERT WILKINSON, PARTNER & INTERNATIONAL LIAISON DIRECTOR, GRANT THORNTON ANTIGUA

What took you by surprise when you started living in Antigua?

I was pleasantly surprised at how easily people of different age groups mixed together both professionally and socially. I also found that my client relationships were a lot closer and the business environment was more entrepreneurial than I was used to.

In your view, what is the growth potential of Antigua & Barbuda?

I think the ongoing infrastructure improvements, innovative legislation and investor-friendly government policies provide the right environment to stimulate economic growth and have made us one of the fastest-growing economies in the region. The citizenship by investment programme (CIP) will continue to attract top quality applicants and inward investment. In my experience, our new citizens are always impressed when they make their first visit to Antigua and they feel a natural urge to invest or contribute in whatever way they can. This stimulates interest and activity that would not otherwise have existed.

How do your clients benefit from your ‘Unlock Antigua’ services?

As we are so familiar with all aspects of doing business and living in Antigua, we can basically help every step of the way for anyone looking to invest or relocate here. Clients feel that they can trust us because we are the number one professional services firm in Antigua and our client list is impressive. We’ve been doing what we do for more than 30 years and have always invested heavily in our people, which translates into great service by talented, knowledgeable and responsive professionals.

You help investors to plan and establish themselves in Antigua & Barbuda. What are the unique selling points of Antigua as a site to grow and expand one’s business?

Our natural advantages are the climate and the natural beauty of the coastline and hinterland. Added to that, we have ever-improving air links, a highly educated English-speaking workforce, a low crime rate and an investor-friendly environment. Our economy is “open”, with no exchange controls and we have well-developed private property laws and follow the Common Law legal system.

What are the best investment opportunities in the country today?

I expect that tourism and real estate will continue to dominate for the foreseeable future and there are still plenty of jaw-dropping development sites available. However, we have new medical marijuana legislation, so I expect that sector to grow rapidly, perhaps along with other high-valueadded agro-industries. The other major opportunities would be in the fintech and yachting industries as well as in cruise-line related activities in anticipation of the cruise port redevelopment.

What are the competitive advantages of Antigua & Barbuda’s CIP compared to others in the region and worldwide?

Obviously, our visa-free country list is excellent, and we are certainly price competitive with the rest of the region. We are not the cheapest, which reflects our preference for quality versus quantity. For those applicants who wish to settle here, I consider Antigua & Barbuda to be one of the best options, if not the best, in terms of quality of lifestyle and tax efficiency.

In your opinion, what are the benefits of the real estate Antigua & Barbuda CBI option?

We now have the joint investment option whereby two co-investors can invest $200,000 each in a real estate project which has brought down the minimum investment level, making it more affordable. Our real estate product is generally of a very high standard which means that investors get full value for their investment. Furthermore, the rental programmes attached to many of the projects are well developed, meaning that investors can be confident of low/no holding costs and possibly even a small return. The mandatory escrow system for “off plan” purchases, which is supervised by the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU), links developer performance to the staged release of funds. This provides increased investor confidence and protection and is – to my knowledge – unique to Antigua & Barbuda.

In closing, what in your view makes Antigua & Barbuda special?

It’s the combination of the people and the environment. There is a perfect mix of the modern and the old fashioned which produces a very attractive culture and quality of life.