Premier Defends Cultural Centre Renovation, Clarifies Use of Parliament Funds

Premier Reuben T. Meade has defended the government’s decision to repurpose allocated funds for a new parliament building to refurbish the Montserrat Cultural Centre, stressing the importance of using the funds before their expiration date.

“The Cultural Centre renovation project has received its fair share of criticism. Let’s have the facts,” Meade said during his ministerial statement in the Legislative Assembly on July 27, 2025. “Funds were allocated for a parliament building, yes. We came into office and found no final drawings or any consensus on what was to be built.”

He explained that preliminary designs done by an external architect would have exceeded the available budget. “When costed, [they] would have been significantly more than the funds which were allocated. Government, contrary to many of the public comments, cannot tender for any construction works knowing fully well that the funds for completion are not available.”

According to the premier, the funds carry a terminal disbursement date of March 31, 2026. “If the funds are not used by that date, we will lose the funds,” he said.

“A Cabinet decision, Madam Speaker, was taken and presented to the FCDO seeking permission to utilise the funds for the refurbishment of the Cultural Centre, which for the time being will double as a home of the Legislative Assembly.”

He added that tenders for the renovation are expected to be issued in early August. “We are seeking to tender the works for the Cultural Centre in early August, to enable us to spend the majority of the funds by the deadline date of 31 March 2026 or indeed have the project completed.”

However, he emphasised that final approvals are still required. “Prior to issuing contracts, in spite of the fact that we’re going out to tender, further Cabinet and approvals must be given for the allocation and drawdown of the sums for the project.”

“In other words, when you have the tender documents coming in, then you’ll know roughly what the costs are, and the details of the cost, and then you’ll get the final approval. But that must be done in Cabinet and also in consultation with the FCDO.”

Responding to critics, the Premier stated: “There, Madam Speaker, are many armchair Ministers of Finance who have no knowledge of how government financing works and the conditions surrounding those funds. Madam Speaker, neither I nor my colleagues have that liberty of seeking to go against the terms of government project funding and indeed the procedures.”