VZCZCXRO9671
PP RUEHGR
DE RUEHGR #0091/01 1851911
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 031911Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY GRENADA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0438
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHINGTON DC
RUCPCIM/CIMS NTDB WASHDC
INFO RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN 0472
RUEHGR/AMEMBASSY GRENADA 0517

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 GRENADA 000091 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EB/IFD/OIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EINV EFIN ETRD ELAB KTDB PGOV USTR OPIC GJ
SUBJECT: GRENADA 2008 INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT 
 
REF: 07 STATE 158802 
 
¶1. The Investment Climate Statement is contained in paragraph 2 
below. 
 
¶2. (U) Begin text: 
 
The Government of Grenada (GOG) seeks to attract foreign direct 
investment and encourages investors to enter in and operate 
enterprises in all fields of lawful economic activity. There is 
no minimum entry requirement, no restriction on foreign 
ownership, repatriation of capital, dividends, interest, or 
other distributions and gains. Foreign and local investors are 
given equal treatment. The main sources of information and data 
are Grenada Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) and 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
 
A.1. Openness to Foreign Investment: The GOG encourages the 
establishment and development of new businesses and offers a 
wide range of incentives to potential investors. All of these 
incentives and concessions are designed to make investments more 
profitable. Concessions are available under the Investment Act, 
Income Tax Act and Common External Tariff (SRO 37/99). The 
judicial system upholds the sanctity of contracts. There is no 
economic or industrial strategy that has discriminatory effects 
on foreign investors. There are no limits on foreign ownership 
or control. Screening of foreign investors is mandatory. 
However, because of the lengthy and cumbersome process, 
investors are required to sign a 'shareholders declaration form' 
to vouchsafe their bona fides. The process of investing begins 
while screening is conducted. Screening is done to protect 
domestic interests, primarily to ensure against fraud and or 
gross violation of constitutional rights, e.g., beach access, 
etc.  Grenada has a generally liberal investment regime. 
Investors may not invest in or operate investment enterprises 
which are prejudicial to national security or detrimental to 
natural environment, public health or the national culture or 
which contravene the laws of Grenada. There are no sectors in 
which foreign investors are not treated the same as a national 
investor. 
 
A.2. Conversion and Transfer Policies: The Reciprocal 
Encouragement and Protection of Investment agreement with the 
USA protects U.S. investors against performance requirements, 
restrictions on transfers, and arbitrary expropriation, and sets 
forth procedures for the settlement of disputes. By providing a 
more open and secure environment for investment, it also 
promotes private sector development. There have been no recent 
changes in the agreement. There is no difficulty in obtaining 
foreign exchange. 
 
A.3. Expropriation and Compensation: The Government shall not 
compulsorily acquire or take possession of any investment 
enterprise, or any asset of an investor except: a. for a purpose 
which is in accordance with the laws of Grenada; b. on a 
non-discriminatory basis; c. in accordance with the procedures 
provided by law; d. there is prompt payment of adequate and 
effective compensation together with interest from the date of 
acquisition or taking possession of the investment enterprise or 
asset to the date of payment at the commercial bank rate on 
loans to the corporate sector; and e. there is a right of access 
to the Supreme Court by any person claiming such compensation 
for the determination of any interest in or right over the 
Investment enterprise or asset and the amount of compensation. 
There have been no expropriation actions in recent times. There 
are no special sectors which may be more at risk of 
expropriation than another. There are no laws forcing local 
ownership. 
 
A.4. Dispute settlement:  Grenada is a constitutional monarchy 
within a Parliamentary System based on the British Model.  The 
executive power is vested in the Prime Minister and his Cabinet, 
who have responsibility for concluding and signing trade 
treaties and trade-related agreements with foreign countries. 
 
The judicial system is based on English common law. 
 
There are three local levels of judiciary courts, and the 
Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal.  Magistrates Court deals with 
minor civil and criminal cases, the High Courts deal with cases 
falling under the different Act of Parliament. 
 
The Privy Council in London is the final court of appeal. 
 
Grenada is a member of the International Centre for Settlement 
of Disputes. 
 
In the event of disputes between foreign parties within an 
investment, or between foreign investors and Grenadian parties, 
or between Grenadian partners, or between the investors and the 
 
GRENADA 00000091  002 OF 004 
 
 
Government in respect of an enterprise, the disputants shall 
first seek to settle their differences through consultation or 
mediation to reach an amicable settlement. In the event that the 
disputants fail to resolve the matter, they may submit their 
dispute to arbitration under the Arbitration Act No 2 of 1989; 
invoke the jurisdiction of the courts of Grenada or the 
Caribbean Court of Justice; or adopt such other procedures as 
provided for in the Articles of Association of the Investment 
enterprise. There is no government interference in the court 
system. 
 
A.5. Performance Requirements/Incentives: The legislation of 
Grenada provides a package of benefits and concessions for 
specific activities.  Incentives available include investment 
allowances, import duty exemptions, repatriation of profits and 
withholding tax exemptions. Incentives that are trade-related 
are notified under Article 25 and Article 27 of the Agreement on 
Subsidies and Countervailing measures. The GOG encourages the 
establishment and development of new businesses and offers a 
wide range of incentives to potential investors. All of these 
incentives and concessions are designed to make investments more 
profitable. Concessions are available under the Investment Act, 
Income Tax Act and Common External Tariff (SRO 37/99). 
Incentives:  Investment allowance - Capital investment is 
written off against taxable income for a period of ten (10) 
years ; Carry forward of losses for 10  years; 100% relief from 
customs duties and taxes on plant, equipment & raw materials; 
Deductible expenditure incurred for marketing, training, 
research and development: no restrictions on foreign ownership; 
no restrictions on foreign currency transactions; no 
restrictions on the repatriation of profits; capital and 
dividends; double taxation relief. There is no performance 
requirement linked to investments. Reciprocal Encouragement and 
Protection of Investment agreement with the USA protects U.S. 
investors against performance requirements. An investment 
enterprise may be wholly owned by either foreign or domestic 
investors. There is no requirement that a domestic investor 
shall own any shares in any investment enterprise. 
 
A.6. Right to Private Ownership and Establishment:  Investors 
may purchase or lease privately owned land and dispose of or 
transfer their interests in the land under the Alien Land 
Holding Licence Act, and the Property Transfer Tax Act, No 37 of 
¶1998. Investors may hold State lands by grant or lease from the 
State. 
 
A.7. Protection of Property Rights: The Government shall protect 
investments and the property of investors in accordance with the 
laws of Grenada. Intellectual property rights of investors and 
investment enterprises, such as, but not limited to, patents, 
trademarks, brand names, and copyrighted materials in printed, 
recorded, or electronic format are guaranteed by the Patents Act 
(Cap 227 of the consolidated laws of Grenada) or the Trademarks 
Act (Cap 284 of the consolidated laws of Grenada), or the 
Copyright Act Cap No 32 of 1988 (Cap 67 of the consolidated laws 
of Grenada). Grenada is a member of the World Intellectual 
Property Organization (WIPO), the Paris Convention, the Berne 
Convention and the Patent Cooperation Treaty. 
 
Domestic legislation regarding intellectual property protection 
has not yet been amended to bring it in line with the TRIP 
Agreement. 
 
Administration of intellectual property laws in Grenada is under 
the responsibility of the Ministry of Legal Affairs. 
 
The registration of patents, trade marks and copyright is done 
at the Registry of the Supreme Court. 
 
Grenada's system for registering patents is governed by the 
Registration of the United Kingdom Patents Act, Cap. 283, in 
accordance with the legislation, based on Section 91 of the U.K. 
Patents and Design Act of 1907, any patent holder in the United 
Kingdom may apply within three years from the date of issue of 
the patent to have it registered in Grenada. 
 
Grenada operates a re-registration system based on registration 
in the United Kingdom. 
 
Under the Registration of the United Kingdom Trade Marks Act, 
Cap 284, any person being registered proprietor of a trade mark 
in the United Kingdom may apply at any time during the existence 
of the registration to have it registered in Grenada. 
 
A.8. Transparency of the Regulatory System: The GOG recognizes 
that for investors, transparent information on rules and 
regulations dealing with investment, on how they are formulated 
and implemented is critical. The GOG therefore promotes 
investments by consulting with interested parties; simplifying 
 
GRENADA 00000091  003 OF 004 
 
 
and codifying legislation; using plain language drafting; 
developing registers of existing and proposed regulation; 
expanding the use of electronic dissemination of regulatory 
material; and by publishing and reviewing administrative 
decisions. Tax, labor, environment, health and safety, and other 
laws and policies do not distort or impede investment. 
Bureaucratic procedures, including those for licenses and 
permits are sufficiently streamlined and transparent. There are 
no informal regulatory processes managed by non-governmental 
organizations or private sector associations.  Enforcement of 
laws remains inconsistent, with court cases often dragging on 
for long periods of time due to lack of magistrates. 
 
A.9. Efficient Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment: There 
are policies to facilitate free flow of financial resources. 
Foreign personnel of investment enterprises and their families 
may also repatriate their earnings, after paying of Grenadian 
personal income tax and all other taxes due. GOG policy is that 
foreign investors are not permitted to borrow domestically in 
Grenada from chartered banks in Grenada, or to access 
low-interest rate loans or government grants. 
 
A.10. Political Violence: Grenada is a politically stable 
country with little or no political violence. Investors in 
Grenada can benefit from a stable democratic style of 
government; stable economy; developed infrastructure, reliable 
investment support services, low crime rate and good quality of 
life. 
 
A.11. Corruption:  In March 2007 Parliament passed the country's 
first anticorruption bill, but there was not yet any record of 
successful prosecutions under these new laws. According to the 
World Bank's worldwide governance indicators, government 
corruption was a problem. New anticorruption laws require all 
public servants to report their income and assets and set up a 
commission to enforce the rules. Implementation was delayed by 
an internal government dispute over setting up the commission, 
but in November 2007 the government announced that all 
outstanding issues had been resolved. The commission had been 
expected to be in place by the end of 2007, but implementation 
was delayed by technical problems. 
 
A.12. Bilateral Investment Agreements: Bilateral Investment 
Agreements established between Grenada the United States and the 
United Kingdom are designed to encourage and protect 
international investments and to ensure that investors receive 
fair, equitable, and nondiscriminatory treatment. Reciprocal 
Encouragement and Protection of Investment with the USA: The 
agreement protects U.S. investors against performance 
requirements, restrictions on transfers, arbitrary expropriation 
and sets forth procedures for the settlement of disputes. By 
providing a more open and secure environment for investment, it 
also promotes private sector development. Investment Protection 
and Promotion Agreement with the United Kingdom: The agreement 
encourages British investor confidence by setting high standards 
of investor protection applicable in international law. Key 
elements include provisions for equal and non-discriminatory 
treatment of investors and their investments, compensation for 
expropriation, transfer of capital and returns and access to 
independent settlement of disputes. 
 
A.13. OPIC and other investment insurance programs: Grenada on 
June 27, 1968, signed a sovereign guarantee agreement with the 
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), which entered 
into force on the same day. Grenada is a member of the 
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). 
 
A.14. Labour: Grenada has signed and ratified all International 
Labour Organizations undertakings and has enshrined these rights 
in its labour laws namely; the Labour Relations Act No.1 of 1999 
and the Employment Act No. 1 of 1999. Grenadian law upholds the 
right of workers to be represented by a trade union of their 
choice. There are no restrictions on the activities of trade 
unions as long as they operate within the parameters set out by 
the local law. The majority of the workforce is unionized and 
there labor relations in the country are stable.  In accordance 
with the Trade Union Recognition Act No 29 of 1979 (Cap 325 of 
the consolidated laws of Grenada), investors shall grant union 
representation at any site of employment if the majority of 
their employees indicate the desire for union representation. 
Investment enterprises shall contribute to the social insurance 
and welfare programs for their workers in accordance with the 
National Insurance Act. 
 
A.15. Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports: There are no Free Zones. 
 
A.16. Foreign Direct Investment Statistics 
FDI Inflows, 2001-2006 (US $mil dollars) 
        2001    2002    2003    2004    2005    2006  2007 
 
GRENADA 00000091  004 OF 004 
 
 
Inflows 52.59   55.83   59.00   60.5 0  79.2     97.0 
 97.8 
Source: Grenada's Central Statistics Office 
 
FDI Inflows by Country of Origin 2001-2006 (US $mil dollars) 
Source: Grenada Industrial Development Corporation 
 
2001    2002    2003    2004    2005    2006 
United States                   0.55    4.0     3.5     12.1    1.6     2.3 
Europe (including the UK)       1.64            11.9    6.3     24.9    64.4 
Caribbean                       11.2    6.80    6.6     3.8     13.1    1.6 
China (PRC)                                             0.22            0.15 
Other                           0.27 
Total                           13.7    10.8    22.1    22.4    39.6    68.4 
 
FDI Inflows by Sector 2001-2006 (US $mil dollars) 
Source: Grenada Industrial Development Corporation 
 
SECTOR                  2001    2002    2003    2004    2005    2006 
Tourism                         8.6     10.8    14.0    22.1    38.2    66.1 
Manufacturing           5.0     -       0.1     -       1.2     0.2 
Services                        0.1     -       8.0     0.2     0.2     2.1 
TOTAL                   13.7    10.8    22.1    22.4    39.6    68.4 
 
End text. 
MCISAAC