
Author: Jeevan A. Robinson | Date: 14 November 2019
There is a great myth being propagated that the People's Democratic Movement (PDM) Administration of Montserrat did nothing in the last 5 years. See below an inclusive list of achievements beyond building buildings, but more so a programme of sustainable growth and inclusive development from the PDM, all achieved over the last 5 years:
1) PDM finished and payed for the basketball complex.
2)The 15 houses in Davy Hill acquired and divested
3)The St John's Clinic
4)Radio Montserrat completion and handover
5)Davy Hill Community Centre completed
6)The slaughterhouse upgraded to an abbattoir
7) New roads at Nixons, Manjack, Barzey's, Judy Piece, Drummonds, Mars Hill, Bumkum Bay, Virgin Islands, Carr's Bay Bay Bridge, Hope Salem,
8 )Free school books issued to both nationals and non-nationals
9) Extended free medication list on a non-discriminatory basis
10) Adoption of a Montserrat National Child Safeguarding Action Plan and the National Child Safeguarding Protocol.
11) Proper Ferry Facilities upgrade in Antigua for Montserratians
12) Quadrupled aggregate exports from Montserrat from mining activities up to 1.088 billion tons.
13) Increased construction and housing output
14) Repaired damage done to procurement and accountability and trust by MCAP
15) EC$200 million initial funding achieved
16) Funding secured and Port & Breakwater Project now a live project
17) EC$52 million secured for Hospital project. Project also now a live project
18) Fibre Optic Project secured with EC$16 million funding
19) Gave back increments to civil servants
20) Public service salary increase
21) First ever Solar utility scaled project first phase started with first electric vehicle introduced
22) Transportation transition from fossil fuel to clean energy
23) Early Market Engagement for Geothermal Surface Plant began
24) Impending Return of WinAir
25) Task Force on implementing Montserrat's first ever Minimum wage convened
26) Project for first ever LED & Solar street lighting approved and funding now available
27) Transformation of St Patrick's festival bringing in over EC$5 million and over 4000 visitors for a week's activities
28) Implementation of the Children (Care and Adoption) Act in November 2017, along with the establishment of Safeguarding Children Board.
29) Local revenue from exports and international business taxes up by $90 million. 2010-2013 international business and trade was $590M. 2015-2019 it was $680 million
30 Growth in construction up. Between 2015-2018: $69.3 million. A difference of $15.6 growth in construction industry