A team from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is in Montserrat this week for the island’s annual budget support discussions.
The talks will be led by Montserrat’s Ministry of Finance and include participation from Governor Sarah Tucker, Premier Reuben Meade, ministers, and parliamentary secretaries.
Meanwhile, the visiting team will be headed by Adam Pile, FCDO’s deputy director of the overseas territories, who is expected to arrive on Monday, 26 January.
The 2025-2026 budget discussions will align funding with Montserrat’s financial priorities for the upcoming year and long-term goals.
A government press release said: “The Government of Montserrat stands ready to welcome Adam Pile and his team and look forward to the fruitful discussions to be convened during the week ahead.”
FCDO programme manager Shelby Millen has already arrived on the island and has been assisting the Ministry of Finance with final preparations ahead of the discussions.
Her presence marks the start of a potential exchange programme, where FCDO and finance ministry staff will work within each other’s organisations to support and understand funding processes.
In 2024-2025, Montserrat secured EC$100.2 million from budgetary aid and grant contributions, and $55.5 million was generated locally for recurrent operations.
