Government

Montserrat’s economic growth accelerated by 5.5 per cent in 2025, mainly driven by expansion in the construction sector. This was a key finding highlighted in the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank’s 2025 Economic and Financial Review for Montserrat. In comparison, sector activity across the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) expanded at a measured pace, with a growth of 2.4% According to the Review, Economic activity in Montserrat is projected to expand by 3.0 per cent and 2.2 per cent in 2026 and 2027, respectively. This is expected to be fuelled by construction sector activity, with support from tourism, despite ongoing access challenges, as well as other ancillary sectors. The Review reports that Montserrat’s fiscal situation is expected to be broadly stable over the medium term. Based on past trends, the projection for continued economic expansion, and the commitment of the UK government to continue to fund the island’s key capital projects, the government is forecast to generate a primary surplus of 2.9 per cent of GDP in 2026 and 2027, respectively. It is envisaged that the ongoing infrastructural development would attract greater foreign direct investment and lead to further diversification of the economy, ultimately generating greater tax revenue for the government and resulting in less dependence on official aid. On the external front, Montserrat is expected to generate small current account deficits over the medium term as construction-related imports increase in line with ongoing infrastructural development. The ECCB’s revised reports provide a comprehensive assessment of the countries’ recent performance and economic outlook. They also update the December 2025 Annual Economic and Financial Reviews by incorporating revised economic data for 2025 and revised projections for 2026 and 2027. The inclusion of revised 2025 data provides a more accurate assessment of economic performance and establishes an updated baseline for evaluating each country’s outlook. More information from the 2025 Economic and Financial Review for Montserrat will be shared

Minister of Buildings, Utilities, Infrastructure, Labour, Transportation and Ecclesiastical Affairs, Hon. Veronica Dorsette-Hector has assured the public that the port development project will not be abandoned by the government of Montserrat. Speaking at the town hall meeting in Salem Mrs. Dorsette-Hector said that the matter is still before the court. She explained that the government had to bring the “contractual arrangements to an end through our contract and we continue to work with our legal team as well as our partners in order to advance the port project.” However, she indicated that as soon as the legal proceedings are over the government will resume this important project. “So I can tell you at this point it is still one that is ongoing and is necessary for economic development,” Mrs. Dorsette-Hector pointed out. In the meantime, she announced that talks are ongoing with a contractor to stabilized the caissons that were installed in the water. The Government of Montserrat officially terminated its EC$107.3 million Little Bay port development contract with Meridian Construction in April 2026 following persistent delays and nonperformance.

The Honourable Premier of Montserrat, Mr. Reuben Meade, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary within the Office of the Premier, Camille Thomas, travelled to St. Maarten from August 21–23, 2026, to participate in activities marking the 65th Anniversary of WINAIR. The Airport Manager, Mr. Joseph Irish also formed part of the delegation. The visit provided an opportunity for the Government of Montserrat to join WINAIR, regional partners, aviation stakeholders and other invited guests in recognising the airline’s six-and-a-half decades of service and its important contribution to regional air connectivity. During the visit, the Honourable Premier presented WINAIR with a custom-made commemorative plaque on behalf of the Government and people of Montserrat, in recognition of the airline’s 65 years of service and its continued contribution to connectivity across the Caribbean. The Honourable Premier also participated in several celebratory activities held throughout the anniversary weekend, which brought together regional stakeholders and partners to commemorate WINAIR’s longstanding contribution to aviation and regional development. Importantly, the visit also provided an opportunity for high-level discussions between the Government of Montserrat and WINAIR regarding the long-term plans and opportunities for collaboration between both parties. Discussions focused on the importance of strengthening the relationship between the Government and the airline and exploring opportunities to support Montserrat’s long-term access and connectivity objectives. The Government of Montserrat recognises that reliable, sustainable and efficient air access is critical to the island’s social and economic development. WINAIR remains an important regional aviation partner, and continued dialogue with the airline is therefore essential as Montserrat advances its broader access and connectivity agenda. The discussions held during the visit form part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to engage key regional transportation partners and identify sustainable solutions to Montserrat’s long-term transportation needs. The Government looks forward to building on these discussions and strengthening its partnership with WINAIR in the years ahead. The Honourable Premier expressed appreciation to WINAIR for the invitation to participate in the 65th Anniversary celebrations and congratulated the airline on reaching this significant milestone. The Government of Montserrat extends its sincere congratulations to WINAIR on 65 years of service and wishes the airline continued success as it begins the next chapter of its journey and its contribution to regional connectivity.

The Disaster Management Coordination Agency (DMCA) is part of efforts to strength regional knowledge sharing and collaboration in disaster preparedness. The DMCA has welcomed Trinidad and Tobago national Fiona Guzman, for a 10-week internship, starting on Monday August 24th. The training opportunity forms part of the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) Regional Internship Programme. During her placement, Ms. Guzman will assist the DMCA with key disaster resilience initiatives, including vulnerability mapping for hurricanes, tsunamis, flash floods and other hazards. Her work will support the Agency’s ongoing efforts to strengthen hurricane and other hazard preparedness, disaster resilience and risk-informed decision-making for the Government and people of Montserrat. Ms. Guzman says she is excited to be working in Montserrat, gaining practical experience, learning about the island’s disaster management programme and contributing to initiatives that strengthen community resilience and preparedness. Information and Education Officer, Ms. Shirlian Queeley, will serve as Ms. Guzman’s country mentor and DMCA supervisor. The Management and staff of the DMCA warmly welcome Ms. Guzman to Montserrat and look forward to working with her during her internship. The CCRIF Regional Internship Programme provides recent university graduates and postgraduate students from CARICOM and CCRIF Caribbean member countries with practical, career-related experience in areas including disaster risk management, climate change, risk modelling and disaster risk financing. Guzman holds a BSc in Environmental and Natural Resource Management from The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus.

Governor Her Excellency Harriet Cross has stressed the importance of safety in Montserrat’s maritime and aviation transport sectors, as the island continues to grapple with access challenges. Addressing the matter in an interview with ZJB News, Governor Cross explained her role in enforcing international regulations, while at the same time recognizing the importance of air and sea transport to Montserrat’s economic development. “I mean as Governor I could probably say, okay I am going to agree that you don’t have to meet those regulations. I think if I did that the UK Department for Transport would overrule me. That is my understanding of what would happen,” the Governor said. Cross does not believe the UK could relax the regulations because ultimately “it has liability for big problems that happen in Montserrat. So either thing that cost a lot of money.” She believed that if “something awful happened…because a ferry didn’t have the appropriate security levels, then ultimately, it’s the UK that pays that fine. Or if some awful air crash happened, the questions would be why didn’t the UK government see that this could happen? So, it would be questions for the UK government. Of course there’d be questions for the government of Montserrat too, but they would ultimately be liable…maybe that’s why I think some people see us, and I include myself in this, as a bit risk averse when it comes to deciding that actually we can be more flexible on international aviation rules.” While recognising the frustration this can create for airlines and passengers, the Governor affirmed that safety requirements are not optional. She explained that the UK Government carries liability for major incidents in Montserrat that has led to the cautious approach taken towards aviation and maritime safety. Commenting on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s role in securing a ferry service for Montserrat, Governor Cross said funding is already provided.

Montserrat has made incredible progress in strengthening trade ties with French neighbours Martinique and Guadeloupe. According to Premier the Hon. Reuben T. Meade, discussions were held recently regarding the trade of sand and aggregate from Montserrat, tourism and access, and other trade opportunities. These talks were held last month during official visits to the French territories. Speaking on the Let’s Talk with United Alliance radio programme, the premier shared more details on the opportunities explored during the visits. “I took about 35 pounds of sand and aggregate, compliments of Jenzil, who packed them. They were very happy, weren’t they? Because they’re having some problems with sand and aggregate. So they plan to now come here using their vessel to be able to do some of that work,” Mr. Meade says. He says a lot of work was done on the tourism side as well. “How do we get people from Guadalupe and Martinique to Montserrat? It’s difficult, but again, as we’ve mentioned to them, there will be a ferry, one way or the other, there is going to be a ferry operating out of Montserrat. And Guadalupe has already said, we’re building a facility on the side which is closer to Montserrat, so that you don’t have to do the long boat ride, because it’s going to take an extra hour from that side to the other side. So, from that point of view, we’re likely as well to be able to get tourists coming from Guadalupe,” the Premier explains. He further explains that Guadeloupe has products which Montserrat “is not producing sufficient of as yet, and I have to say as yet, which we should be able to get. So, like their pineapples, when we can’t get pineapples here, we should be able to get pineapples coming from there, and the ferry would be a very useful addition to that. They also like some of the products which we’re telling them about, and they’re willing to buy from us as well. So it’s not a one-way street.”

The Access Division, Office of the Premier wishes to address the recent circulation of automatedcancellation notifications received by travelers with Winair confirmed bookings for October 2026.Due to an administrative oversight, the booking system was opened for the month of October.As the system identified and flagged this scheduling error, automatic cancellations weretriggered for affected reservations.The Access Division is actively engaging with WINAIR’s Management to resolve the situation,and minimize disruption. The Access Division would like to confirm that flights from Winair willcontinue for the foreseeable future once this issue is resolved.Further updates will be provided as soon as additional details are confirmed.Passengers requiring clarification or assistance regarding their specific travel arrangements areencouraged to contact the Access Division directly: Telephone: 664-491-3378 or 664-392-3600 Email: accessmni@gov.ms

Information and Education Officer at the Montserrat Disaster Management Coordination Agency (DMCA), Shirlian Queeley attended a validation workshop focused on “Building the Next Level Regional Response Mechanism (RRM)”. Hosted by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the workshop ran from August 12th to 14th, 2026. It brought together key regional stakeholders to examine how the Caribbean can strengthen its collective capacity to respond to an increasingly complex disaster environment. CDEMA says the development of the Next Level RRM is a priority under its 2022–2027 Strategic Programme. It also supports the wider Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy and ongoing efforts to strengthen national and regional coordination frameworks. Through the workshop, participants were able to review and validate the proposed future architecture of the RRM, including its strategic direction, operational roadmap, logical framework and monitoring and evaluation approach. The workshop also reinforced the importance of partnerships and collective action, recognising that when countries, institutions and response partners work together with clearly defined roles, established trust and shared systems, regional solidarity can be transformed into operational capability. CDEMA thanked all Participating States, partners and stakeholders who contributed to the three-day validation process.

The upcoming season will see Montserrat welcoming vessels from a number of internationally recognized cruise and luxury expedition brands from October 2026 through April 2027. The MTA says the cruise season creates opportunities for tour operators, taxi operators, restaurants, retailers, artisans and other service providers to engage directly with visitors and benefit from visitor spending. It says cruise calls also provide an important platform for introducing new visitors to Montserrat, with a positive experience potentially encouraging future longer-stay visits and generating further exposure for the destination. The MTA says visitors can engage in a number of experiences that will enable cruise guests to discover Montserrat beyond the port and connect with the destination and its people. Visitors can experience Montserrat through a range of excursions and activities that showcase the island’s natural beauty and cultural heritage, including sightseeing, hiking, diving, coastal tours heritage experiences and visits to some of the island’s most distinctive attractions such as the buried city and St. George’s Hill tour. CEO of the MTA Rosetta West-Gerald said the MTA focus is not simply on welcoming visitors to the island, but on ensuring that they leave with a genuine appreciation for our natural environment, our heritage, our culture and, most importantly, our people. The Montserrat Tourism Authority continues to work closely with cruise partners and local tourism stakeholders to strengthen the island’s readiness for the season and ensure that visitors receive a warm and memorable welcome. As part of this ongoing effort, the Authority continues to provide training and development opportunities for tour guides and taxi operators, recognizing their important role as frontline representatives of the destination. Through continued training and capacity building, the Authority is working to ensure that tourism professionals are well equipped to provide knowledgeable, professional and engaging experiences that reflect the quality and character of Montserrat. The Authority also welcomes persons who may be interested in becoming a tour guide or to operate as a vendor during the cruise season to contact the Montserrat Tourism Authority at info@montserrattourism.ms.

Women on Montserrat and around the globe have the opportunity to engage in four days of feminine uplift at the 2026 staging of the Women in Excellence Conference.. Held under the theme “She Knows Her Worth”, the conference is dedicated to empowering women, and focuses on cultivating excellence in all aspects of life. The conference is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Buildings, Utilities, Infrastructure, Labour, Transportation, and Ecclesiastical Affairs (BUILTE) and women in the diaspora. It is scheduled to run from the 20th to 23rd of August at the Brades Arts and Education Center. The conference will be hosted by Reverend Dr. Edris Webbe and will features presenters to include Minister Jaqueline King, Germaine Dublin, and Ayesha Carty. Sessions include: Session 1: Health Forum – Ayesha Carty, Germaine Dublin Session 2: Wills & Probate – Anique Dublin Session 3: Entrepreneurship/Financial Management –Nicola, Anique, Shannon Excellent Women Wrap up: Rev Dr Edris Webbe The full schedule and further information can be found on the website www.womenofexcellence2020.com