opinion by Armand Arton
Founder & President Arton Capital
BUILDING A RESILIENT CARIBBEAN THROUGH CITIZENSHIP TAX
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The past year’s hurricane season in the Caribbean exhibited some empathy following the catastrophic trail of storms in 2017. Documented as one of the strongest hurricanes ever observed in the Atlantic, Hurricane Irma hardly left a tree or building standing in Barbuda, and a few weeks later, Hurricane Maria followed suit, devastating the island of Dominica. The severity of the hurricane’s impact was recorded and streamed live on Facebook by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. “We do not know what is happening outside,” Skerrit posted on the social media site. “We not dare look out. All we are hearing is the sound of galvanize flying. The sound of the fury of the wind. As we pray for its end!” With winds of up to 160mph, the Category 5 storm pummelled the island on September 2017, as it swept with belligerent force across a region already reeling from Hurricane Irma. The nightmare did eventually come to an end, but it left a trail of destruction in its wake. Although the Caribbean collectively sighed with relief for escaping such an incident this past year, the islands continue to remain vulnerable. From severe drought to flooding and high winds, they are at the frontline of climate change, and the culprits are evident.
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THE CITIZEN
