The St Vincent government on Thursday passed a supplementary bill in parliament for $98.6 million, which included additional funds for the new Kingstown port, hurricane Beryl relief in the Southern Grenadines and support monies for roads.
The Opposition did not support the additional funding for the port, stating they were kept uninformed about the true state of construction. There were 12 votes for, 2 against and 7 abstentions.
Minister of Finance Camilo Gonsalves stated the $98.6 million would fund specific capital works, including $28.2 million for the ongoing roads program, $25.6 million for completing the modern Kingston cargo port, $41.75 million for the post-Beryl housing recovery program, and $3 million for accommodating people displaced by Hurricane Beryl in apartments and guesthouses.
Gonsalves clarified that the supplementary appropriation request would not address issues related to the seawall’s failure.
“The government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is not responsible for the quay wall’s rectification costs. The contractor bears the cost and is addressing the matter with their insurance company, as it falls under their insured activities”.
This marks the third consecutive year the government has sought a supplementary appropriation for the port in the second half of the year.
The port project has experienced two delays, totaling five months. The first, due to Hurricane Beryl, which caused containers to wash into the sea and resulted in damage, pushed the projected completion date from mid-year to the end of August. A second delay, stemming from the quay wall failure requiring ongoing remedial work, further postponed completion by two months to the end of October, the current projected date.
Gonsalves further stated that the projected cost of the port has risen by 3% over the course of the development.
The government is seeking this appropriation to cover cost increases related to the port project. This supplementary budget accounts for an additional loan secured from the Caribbean Development Bank in June 2025 and allocates funds previously earmarked in the 2025 expenditure estimates to be sourced from local loans and repaid in 2026.
The port has an expected cost of $700 million.
