The Coffee morning guests
It was the first time that the June 2013 appointed new CEO of the Montserrat Development Corporation (MDC), Ivan B. Browne was making a public appearance in Montserrat. It was at the invitation of Mrs. Sujue Davis, wife of H E Governor Davis to her Tuesday Coffee Morning get together sessions, which she was hosting for the third time in four weeks.
At her previous meeting, it was Christmas carols morning, but on Tuesday, Dec 10, the MDC CEO and his management team, along with, H E Governor who introduced the program, and DFID’s Dr. Cato Kimbugwe, were in attendance. Also present was MDC chairman, John E. Ryan.
Being the ardent fund-raiser Mrs. Davis is, she had on sale items including including CDs produced by Pat Ryan, our renowned composer and singer, with songs about the environment composed and sung by herself. The CDs were produced by Sunny Lea. The cost for each CD is $35 with proceeds from the sale going to the National Trust. She only last weekend, beginning on Friday, played patron at the National Trust’s first ‘flower show’, dampened only by the intermittent but fair showers of rain both Saturday and Sunday.
She had said that the MDC would update and answer question on the developments that are taking place at Little Bay and Carrs Bay, and in particular on the official opening of the marine village complex at Little Bay.
MDC CEO Ivan Browne
Mr. Browne delivered what he promised would be similar to the presentation a team led by the Hon Premier made in London gave about the present and future development plans of Montserrat.
Among the several interesting questions posted following the presentation to the MDC CEO and team, was a question on the financing of the MDC. At first the answers came with single word answers, then following this: “Who finances MBC? Is it the British taxpayer” Following a yes answer: “So when you are talking about funding, you’re talking about from the private sector!”
Browne answered: : ‘’It’s a combination of public and private sector. In other words, in terms of certain elements of the Little Bay development, we are looking for private-sector money. Other elements of the MDC development, we are looking for public-sector money; for example, for the infrastructure in Little Bay. But the operational expenses of the MDC are paid by DFID.”
The next question, “So the financing of the buildings and everything else comes from where?”
Here Dr. Kimbugwe joined in seemingly contradicting part of Browne’s answer, but also providing some information not otherwise yet disclosed to the public. He said, “…The support we provide to government of Montserrat, which by extension, is provided to the MDC is in developing the private sector and providing that catalyst that’s required…at the moment, we (DFID) finance the activities of the MDC but not the infrastructure activities of the MDC.
“That is currently financed by the European Union who are financing various aspects of the infrastructure. We have not agreed any level of support at all for the public infrastructure and what we’re considering is the port development. So the rest has been financed from government of Montserrat’s resources as well as from the European Union.”
At this point the questions switched to geothermal. (see geothermal story)
There were several other interesting questions regarding the MDC activities, information which should be made far more available, and more localised to the people as we have been soliciting. Questions and answers about who are investing and expected to invest, even on the suggestion that the people of Montserrat are left out of what is happening.
One answer that stuck home was that all the activities and plans including port development would not be realised until 2016. (See today’s Editorial which touches on that.)
