NIA CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS – Premier of Nevis, the Honourable Mark Brantley, says the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) is intensifying efforts to position Nevis as a premier international financial services jurisdiction, as part of a wider strategy to diversify and strengthen the island’s economy.
Premier Brantley, who also serves as Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, recently represented Nevis at the Southpac Offshore Planning Institute (SOPI) 2026 international conference held April 14-16 in Vancouver, Canada.
The conference, themed “No Longer Optional,” brought together leading professionals in offshore planning, wealth management, estate planning, private banking, citizenship by investment, and international financial services at a time when global wealth strategies are rapidly evolving.
Premier Brantley said his participation formed part of the government’s ongoing campaign to market Nevis aggressively in the global financial services arena. He described the conference as an important platform that allowed Nevis to engage directly with key industry leaders and intermediaries already familiar with the jurisdiction.
“I was in Vancouver recently as a special guest of the Southpac group. They are the leading trust service providers in the Cook Islands as well as here in Nevis. I spoke on the industry here, the trust business in particular on the island of Nevis.
“I loved this particular conference because it was a small group of dedicated individuals who are industry leaders, business people, and they focused almost exclusively on Nevis and the Cook Islands. So it really was a tremendous forum where Nevis was everywhere on everybody’s lips and it turned out that there were many, many intermediaries who were already using Nevis and so I was kind of pushing on an open door in the sense of telling them I want them to do more business with Nevis.”
He expressed appreciation to Southpac for providing the opportunity to engage directly with industry leaders and stakeholders.
The Premier noted that the Administration has been deliberately strengthening the island’s financial services framework and expanding its international reach.
He pointed to several strategic appointments aimed at modernizing and advancing the sector, including the appointment of Rita Hawkins to lead Nevis Finance, the new entity responsible for marketing the jurisdiction internationally, and Andre Cadogan as head regulator of the Nevis Branch of the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC), the ultimate regulatory authority for financial services.
“We are putting the pieces in place that we really want to take Nevis now to the next level to make financial services a significant player in what we do.”
Premier Brantley said the jurisdiction continues to see positive growth trends in 2026, supported by the introduction of new products including gaming and limited partnership services. He revealed that the sector recorded a historic milestone in 2025, with revenue surpassing EC$20 million for the first time.
“Last year we had an excellent year and in fact, the revenue from financial services went over $20 million for the first time. We are hoping that we could double and triple that if we do things right, if we attract the right players, and bring the right business people to the fore.”
He also disclosed that a growing number of top firms from Panama are establishing a presence in Nevis through a process known as “nesting,” where newly licensed entities initially operate within existing firms before establishing independent offices. According to the Premier, the long-term objective is for these companies to invest directly in the local economy through office rentals, business expansion, and employment opportunities for Nevisians.
“We have an overall plan; it is part of our diversification effort and I think that the plan so far has been going remarkably well,” he said.
The Premier also thanked stakeholders within the private sector for their continued role in strengthening the industry.
“I anticipate that that sector is going to continue to grow and it would be remiss of me if I didn’t thank all of those private sector individuals who participate in the financial services sector and encourage it to continue growing from strength to strength.”
Premier Brantley emphasized that Nevis’ reputation as a stable, mature, and trusted jurisdiction remains one of its greatest strengths, noting that the island’s more than 40 years of experience in the financial services sector, coupled with its stable democracy, rule of law, and independent judicial system, continue to inspire confidence among international clients and investors.