Montserrat has emerged as one of the top performers in a new international assessment of corporate transparency.
The assessment, conducted by Transparency International UK, ranked Montserrat among the most transparent jurisdictions globally for its public Beneficial Ownership Register.
In its findings, Transparency International UK awarded Montserrat a score of 73 per cent for the strength of its Beneficial Ownership Framework and 81 per cent for the accessibility of its ownership data.
The results reflect the island’s decision to operate a fully public and free-to-access register, which allows anyone to view information on who ultimately owns or controls companies registered in Montserrat.
The register went live in October 2024.
Montserrat is one of only a handful of UK Overseas Territories to establish a fully public register, placing it ahead of larger financial centres such as Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands, which currently limit access to ownership data or have delayed implementation.
The Financial Services Commission (FSC) has welcomed the report’s findings and expressed gratitude to Transparency International UK for undertaking the assessment.
The report notes that public registers, such as Montserrat’s, are widely considered the most effective and straightforward method for ensuring accountability in corporate ownership.
The full assessment provided by Transparency International UK has been made available by the FSC for reference.