Montserrat Ferry terminal and boardwalk
Montserrat John A Osborne airport (aerial view)
Under the above caption we posted on our (TMR) Facebook page with the note: “For travel? For freight! Islands, drop the airline and travel tax, more people travel, integration and tourism will flourish.”
Since 2012, the Reuben T. Meade government of Montserrat (GoM) opted to pursue Ferry travel as the main mode of travel into Montserrat, ignoring pursuance of the development of an airport. Her Majesty’s Government (through DFID (Department for International Development) accepted and meanwhile we wait for updated information on the acquisition of a ‘purpose built ferry’ for Montserrat.
See more on this in other articles.
Written by Andre Huie
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN):
How does the Caribbean resolve issues of intra-regional trade when the cost to ship items is expensive and intra-regional travel remains a challenge? That was the question posed to World Bank officials during a press conference at the recently concluded Caribbean Growth Forum in St. Lucia. Daniel Lederman, the World Bank’s Deputy Chief Economist Latin America and the Caribbean said the World Bank is focusing more on coming up with solutions to the problems plaguing intra-regional travel. Mr. Lederman said that the suggestion of a regional ferry to carry passengers and cargo, though an expensive venture requires the leadership in the Caribbean for this to become a reality.
The World Bank said that given their small market size, trade is essential for Caribbean countries’ development and poverty reduction. But while trade makes an essential contribution to increasing employment and reducing poverty by supporting growth, the high dependence on trade also makes Caribbean economies vulnerable to external shocks.
A good example of this is the global financial crisis which imposed substantial job losses in sectors such as tourism that the poor rely on for employment. Meanwhile, the World Bank officials were asked about trade imbalances within the region and how these issues can be addressed. In recent times, there have been complaints from some CARICOM member states that the trade imbalances with some of its regional partners are threatening attempts at intra-regional trade. Mr. Lederman spoke to this issue.
Daniel Lederman, Deputy Chief Economist Latin America and the Caribbean at the World Bank and World Bank economist Calvin Djiofack Zebaze
