St. Vincent and the Grenadines sells Chatham Bay beachfront to private firm

In August 2026, the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines sold approximately 100 acres of beachfront on Union Island, known as Chatham Bay, to a private entity named AHRA LLC.

The transaction was publicly framed as a conservation effort to protect an endangered gecko species. However, Prime Minister Godwin Friday also stated in Parliament that the sale served as a financial windfall that helped reduce the nation’s mid-year budget deficit by half.

On the same day the sale was announced, Parliament amended the Companies Act to reduce disclosure requirements for external companies involved in land ownership. This legislative change resulted in the loss of access to information regarding the beneficial owners of AHRA LLC, leaving the political opposition unable to identify who controls the company.