Minister Promises Acceleration of Port Development Project by End of July

Premier and Minister of Finance Reuben T. Meade has assured residents that visible work on the long-delayed Port Development Project in Little Bay will begin ramping up by the end of July 2025.

Speaking at a United Alliance town hall meeting in Lookout on June 5, the premier said the government had recently made a payment to Meridian Construction and amended the existing contract. While he declined to disclose the amount, he confirmed that new equipment is expected on island shortly to support the resumption of work.

“We’re expecting a barge by the end of this week with some additional equipment,” Meade told attendees. “And by the end of next week, even more equipment is coming in. So you should start to see activity down at the port site.”

The premier acknowledged the frustration around the stalled project but said the government is now in a better position to manage progress and accountability. “A joint account is being set up between the Government of Montserrat and Meridian, so we can track exactly what money is being spent on,” he explained.

Premier Meade made it clear that despite the complications, halting the project isn’t an option due to legal constraints and the risk of losing critical funding. “It’s very difficult based on contract law to stop them at this stage. And because of the funding arrangements, if we don’t continue, we’re going to lose the funding altogether,” he said.

In response to recent concerns about unpaid workers, the minister said he intervened directly. “Some workers contacted me last week. I reached out to Meridian, and they promised payments would be made by Wednesday or Friday. I haven’t heard back, so I assume payments were made but I’ll follow up just to be sure,” he continued.

The Minister of Finance stressed that the current administration takes full ownership of the project, regardless of who initiated it. “We’re not distancing ourselves from it. This is our project, and we’ll make sure it gets completed,” he affirmed. “We are an accountable government.”

In a further show of commitment, Meade revealed that the British Government has agreed to provide additional technical assistance. “A marine engineer will be coming to the island to work alongside the Meridian team on behalf of the Government of Montserrat,” he said.

Residents were told to expect visible signs of progress on the site by late July. “You will be seeing something happening very soon,” the minister concluded.