Mauritius ‘golden passport’ scheme flagged on OECD blacklist

EDINBURGH — In an effort to clamp down on tax evasion, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has published a blacklist of countries that are selling citizenship. Mauritius and the Seychelles, popular with South Africans, are on the list. It's not just tropical islands that are under scrutiny. The United Arab Emirates and Malaysia also have a showing on the league table of countries that have turned nationality into a marketable commodity, enabling the rich and the crooked to hide behind complex tax laws. The OECD is concerned about tax evasion. – Jackie Cameron

By Thulasizwe Sithole

Mauritius and the Seychelles are among countries flagged as operating high-risk schemes which sell either residency or citizenship in a new report released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

A blacklist of 21 countries whose so-called "golden passport" schemes threaten international efforts to combat tax evasion has been published by the west's leading economic thinktank, reports The Guardian.

The Paris-based OECD as raised the alarm about the fast-expanding $3bn (£2.3bn) citizenship by investment industry, which has turned nationality into a marketable commodity, says the UK-headquartered news organisation.

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