CDB Decision Stalls Restart of Montserrat Port Project as March 2026 Deadline Looms

Premier Reuben T. Meade says the long-delayed Montserrat Port Development Project remains on hold, despite his administration’s efforts to relaunch construction at the Little Bay site. The premier revealed on Thursday’s edition of What’s On Your Mind on ZJB Radio, that the project’s restart is now pending a decision from the UK’s Overseas Territories Minister, following a failure to secure necessary approvals from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

The £21.4 million project, funded by a £14.4 million grant from the UK Caribbean Infrastructure Fund (UKCIF) and £7 million in counterpart contributions from the Government of Montserrat and the European Union, was originally expected to resume this month. However, Meade said CDB’s refusal to issue a “no objection” to revised project management arrangements has halted all progress.

“At a high-level meeting in Brazil, they refused to move off their crease,” Meade said, describing CDB’s unwillingness to consider the new oversight structure proposed by his administration. “We followed up with another high-level meeting via video while I was in the UK, and again they refused. Now, the matter is before the Overseas Territories Minister for a decision on the way forward.”

The premier explained that his government has proposed several measures to ensure greater accountability and prevent past issues from recurring. These include bringing in a marine engineer currently working elsewhere in the region, opening a joint bank account between the Government and contractor Meridian Construction to track payments, and instituting regular oversight meetings.

“We’re putting in a new management system. The UK government is part of the solution and is willing to work with us. So why would CDB not also want to be part of the solution?” Meade asked. “The requirement is simply a no-objection from CDB to move forward, and they’ve refused to give it.”

Meridian Construction began work at the Little Bay site in June 2022, but the project soon encountered major setbacks, including delays, budget overruns, and environmental concerns. These contributed to a breakdown in confidence between project stakeholders and CDB, which is administering the UKCIF on behalf of the British government.

Meade insisted that despite not initially supporting the project while in opposition, his administration recognises its national importance and is committed to seeing it through.

“I don’t want it to be seen that because I didn’t support it from the start, that we now want to kill the project. That’s clearly not it,” he said. “This is an important enough project for Montserrat. We shouldn’t be losing out on over $50 million because CDB refuses to budge.”

With funding set to expire in March 2026, the clock is now ticking. Meade warned that further delays could jeopardise the entire development.

The Montserrat Port Development Project is intended to improve the efficiency, resilience and safety of the island’s port facilities. Once completed, it is expected to provide safe harbour access for a wide range of vessels and bolster the island’s long-term economic prospects through increased maritime connectivity.

For now, all eyes are on the UK government and whether it will intervene to break the deadlock.