Posts

Passports for sale: the risks of golden visa programmes

By Natalie Ritchie    First published on the Global Anticorruption Blog In 1984, the government of the small Caribbean island state of Saint Kitts and Nevis had a bright idea for attracting foreign capital: the country would grant permanent resident status to any foreign national who invested a sufficient amount in the country. The idea caught Read more >

Namibia removed from list of tax havens

Original source: Reuters European Union (EU) finance ministers removed Namibia from the bloc’s blacklist of tax havens on Tuesday after it committed itself to changing its tax rules and practices, the EU said. The Economic and Financial Affairs Council established the list in December 2017, with the overall goal of improving tax good governance globally Read more >

EU golden visa programme a risky business

From time to time in the South African media, articles appear that talk about the various so-called golden visa programmes offered by several EU countries. This is essentially EU residency or citizenship and a passport in return for money – lots of it. A substantial investment in the country of choice will secure these benefits, Read more >

Protect the world’s forests by tackling corruption

By Jo Blackman and Elena Gaita First published on EU Observer Corruption is rife in many of the developing countries that supply the EU market with tropical timber. As a key consumer market for tropical timber, and with bilateral agreements in place with many of these developing countries, the EU is uniquely placed to promote Read more >