Premier Meade to Represent Montserrat at ECCB Monetary Council Meeting

Premier and Minister of Finance Reuben T. Meade will represent Montserrat at the 113th Meeting of the Monetary Council of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), which takes place in Dominica on Friday, July 9, 2026.

The meeting brings together the Finance Ministers of the eight member governments of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) to review the region’s economic performance and set priorities for monetary and financial policy.

During the meeting, ECCB Governor Timothy N.J. Antoine will present his annual report on monetary, credit and financial conditions across the Currency Union. Titled *From Stability to Resilience: The Next Chapter for the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union*, the report will examine global economic trends, their impact on the Eastern Caribbean and priorities for strengthening the region’s economic resilience.

Council members will also receive updates on the ECCB’s “Big Push” Agenda, which focuses on seven areas of transformation: human capital and skills development, food and nutrition security, energy resilience, digital transformation, financial inclusion and wealth creation, tourism, and trade logistics and connectivity.

Among the initiatives to be discussed are the CARICOM Payments and Settlement System (CAPSS) pilot and the Fast Payment System, both designed to make regional payments faster, more efficient and more accessible.

A highlight of the meeting will be the unveiling of the Eastern Caribbean’s new family of banknotes and coins, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the EC dollar’s fixed exchange rate of EC$2.70 to US$1.00.

The redesigned currency follows a decision by the Monetary Council in 2023 to replace the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Public consultations held across the Currency Union later that year found strong support for featuring national heroes and nation builders on the new notes and coins.

The Monetary Council is the ECCB’s highest decision-making body and comprises the Ministers of Finance from Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Following the meeting, newly appointed Chairman of the Monetary Council, Dominica’s Minister for Finance, Dr Irving McIntyre, is expected to present the Council’s communiqué and outline the decisions taken during a post-meeting media briefing.