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Locals and visitors alike will be able to access the long-closed St George’s Hill site as soon as next week. Confirmation of this comes from Premier, the Honourable Reuben T Meade. In his announcement, Premier Meade says the move to open St George’s Hill after over 30 years forms part of the government’s plan to improve the island’s tourism product. The new access route will allow tour operators, taxi associations, and cruise partners to expand their offerings. He said access would come free of cost to residents, with a small fee for visitors. Premier, Honourable Reuben T Meade. On Monday, Premier Meade, alongside the CEO of the Montserrat Tourism Authority, Mrs Rosetta West-Gerald, and Tourism Stakeholder Charlesworth Phillip, completed an official site visit to the newly cleared roads leading into St. George’s Hill. The visit marked a major step in the Government’s preparations for the upcoming 2025–2026 cruise ship season, during which thousands of visitors are expected to arrive on the island. The team inspected the road conditions, visitor safety considerations, and the surrounding environment, while engaging in on-site discussions about visitor flow, signage placement, and opportunities for guided excursions.

Chief Immigration Officer Charles Thompson says with the anticipated uptick in passenger activity into and out of Montserrat, the department is implementing improvements for passenger facilitation. Speaking during a recent press briefing on ZJB Radio, Mr. Thompson said the entry and exit improvements and immigration support measures would be tied to Antigua and the St. Maarten routes. Mr Thompson, who was part of a recent Office of the Premier marketing visit to Phillipsburg, emphasized that once there is an increase in persons traveling into and out of Montserrat, it calls into question the need for robust immigration services. Chief Immigration Officer, Charles Thompson

There are positive signs for Montserrat to move to the next stage of Geothermal development. So says Premier, the Honourable Reuben T. Meade. Premier Meade was at the time providing an update on the geothermal project here, among other key developmental initiatives, on Power FM 102.7 and PJD2 1300 AM in St. Maarten. The Montserrat leader of government business said that because of these positive signs, they are looking at moving to geothermal production for energy. Mr Meade was accompanied to Phillipsburg by senior officials from the Office of the Premier Premier, the Honourable Reuben T. Meade

The Department for Community, Youth, and Sports Services (DCYSS) here presented a mobility scooter to local Diabetes Ambassador Kenneth Farrell. The presentation was made on Friday ,November 14th, 2025, World Diabetes Day, after a radio discussion on the condition. Mr Farrell was one of the panelists. Speaking on behalf of the DCYSS, Youth Director Mrs. Anne Thomas praised the work Mr. Farrell is doing in raising awareness about the condition. Mrs. Anne Thomas. In his response, Mr. Farrell expressed gratitude to the department for the gift and thanked God for the health and knowledge to continue raising awareness. Diabetes Ambassador, Mr. Kenneth Farrell.

A new training programme aimed at developing the next generation of leaders is set to launch here in October. Local youth group New Legacy in collaboration with the Brothers & Kings: Empowering Minds For The Future organization in Canada, will be working with 15 young men as part of the Building Future Leaders Empowerment Training. The initiative, which will run twice per week, provides participants the opportunity to strengthen their communication, leadership, and personal development skills. The training will focus on Communication & Articulation, Building Leadership Skills, Using Influence for Positivity and The Importance of Education. It’s broader goals include mindset change, creating bonds, bridging gaps, and fostering aspirational growth, equipping young people with tools to succeed and contribute positively to their communities. For more information, persons can contact New Legacy President Sandrae Thomas at 1-664-469-2087 or visit www.brothersandkings.com.

Some very good news for the people of Montserrat both at home and in the diaspora. It is official that work will resume on the port development project at little Bay. Minister for Building, Utilities, Infrastructure, Labour and Transport (B.U.I.L.T), Honourable Veronica Dorsette-Hector made the announcement Monday afternoon. She told ZJB News that the government signed an agreement with Meridian Construction Company Limited which will allow work on the port facility to re-start. The project’s restart was pending a decision from the UK’s Overseas Territories Minister, Stephen Doughty and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). The newly-signed agreement has now cleared the way for the project works to resume. ZJB News will provide more updates and the restart date as soon as the information becomes available.

The government of Montserrat has further lived up to its promise to ease the cost of living pressures on residents here. On August 14th the Cabinet issued the Customs (Control and Management) (Amendment of schedule) Order. This means that for the three-year period, September 1, 2025 through March 31, 2028 only 50% of transport costs and 50% of loading and handling charges will be added to the purchase price of goods imported. In July this year the Government of Montserrat had announced a 50% reduction in freight tariffs across the board in a move to reduce the cost of living for residents. Premier, and minister for finance and economic management, the Honourable Reuben T Meade had confirmed the reduction on a “What’s on Your Mind” radio Programme. Premier Meade said then that the island’s cost of living is largely shaped by international factors, and as such, he urged residents to reconsider their consumption habits and utilize more local products.