By Admin. Updated 9:30 a.m., Saturday, August 29, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has confirmed for the first time in Parliament that land at Chatham Bay, Union Island, has been sold, with the transaction generating EC$52.7 million in capital revenue during the first four months of the 2026 fiscal year.
Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday made the disclosure on Thursday, August 27, while presenting an update on the country’s fiscal performance in Parliament.
He said the government’s overall deficit for the period April 1 to July 31, 2026, stood at EC$57.78 million, an improvement from the EC$125.32 million deficit recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.
“The higher capital revenue in 2026 mainly reflected $52.7 million that was received from the sale of land in Chatham Bay in Union Island,” Friday told Parliament. He also attributed lower capital expenditure to the completion of the modern port project in 2025 and reduced spending related to Hurricane Beryl.
The statement appears to confirm long-running speculation over the future of the prized Chatham Bay property, one of the country’s most scenic coastal areas and the subject of a landmark legal battle that ended more than a decade ago.
The land became State property after the Government successfully pursued forfeiture proceedings against foreign investors through the courts. The High Court ruled in the State’s favour in 2007, the Court of Appeal upheld that decision in 2010, and the matter concluded after the investors withdrew their appeal before the Privy Council, leaving ownership with the Government.
While the Prime Minister’s statement confirms that the sale took place and the amount received, it leaves several important public-interest questions unanswered. Among them are:
- Who purchased the land?
- How many acres were sold?
- What were the terms and purchase price of the sale?
- What statutory approvals were required for the sale, and were all of them obtained?
- What development is proposed for the site?
- What environmental assessments, if any, were conducted before the sale?
- Will public access to Chatham Bay be preserved?
- How will the EC$52.7 million received from the sale be allocated?
Given Chatham Bay’s unique legal history and national significance, the parliamentary disclosure raises legitimate questions that extend beyond the amount received.
Greater transparency regarding the purchaser, the terms of the transaction and the intended use of the land would help Vincentians better understand the future of one of the country’s most valuable public assets.
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