A list naming the holders of 880 accounts at Montserrat’s now-defunct Government Savings Bank was published this week.
This is the third time the government has shared the list, after previously releasing it in June 2022 and again in January 2024.
The accounts, some which are individual and others joint, have remained dormant since the Treasury-operated facility stopped operating.
According to a government press release on 20 March, the accountant general is urging the remaining depositors or their beneficiaries to contact the Treasury Department to claim their unsettled deposits.
To process a claim successfully, account holders must provide satisfactory evidence of ownership, or the right to claim.
Acceptable documents include, but are not limited to:
- Passport or other relevant identification documents such as marriage or birth certificates
- Government Savings Bank account book
- Probate document
- Power of attorney
- Other relevant supporting documents
The full and current list of account holders is available here.
Further details are available from the Treasury Department at (664) 491-2454/2663, by email tsydepatmail@gov.ms or in person at the E Karney Osborne Building in Little Bay.
Montserrat Focus has contacted the Treasury Department for details on the total amount remaining in the accounts and is awaiting a response.
It’s honestly frustrating to keep seeing this pattern. These outdated government or semi-private banks across the Caribbean keep failing, and people are the ones left dealing with the mess. I recently read a piece from https://ovza.com that mentioned something like 80% of Caribbean banks disappear or collapse within 25 years, which is crazy but sadly believable.
The financial sector here really needs more stability and modernisation. Without serious reform, these issues will keep repeating — and the trust gap just gets wider.