Come to Guyana – President Granger urges Caribbean businesses to set up shop here
President David Granger
President David Granger

– assures Guyana remains open to all CARICOM nationals

By Ravin Singh

WITH recent confirmation of a significant oil find brightening hopes of a prosperous economy and with sprawling interior lands begging for investment to satisfy the food demands of the Caribbean, President David Granger Wednesday extended an open invitation for the Region’s people to set up shop here. “We’ve got Brazilians here, we’ve got Chinese, we’ve got Russians here, we’ve got Canadians here; so why not [people from] other Caribbean countries?” the President told reporters at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown where he was meeting with other Caribbean leaders.
Guyana’s economy has been touted to become the beacon of CARICOM in the next decade given the significant oil discovery by ExxonMobil. The U.S.-based company recently confirmed a “world-class discovery” of between 800 million and 1.4 billion barrels of oil following the drilling of the Liza-2 well in the Stabroek Bloc offshore Guyana.
President Granger said he expects that some of the proceeds from the foreseen petroleum industry will go into a Sovereign Wealth Fund. In addition, he noted that the surpluses will be used to develop Guyana’s infrastructure and education system.
“We are quite mature and we know what we are going to do when the revenues start to flow. So the Guyanese people can look forward to a higher quality of life,” the President committed.
Given Guyana’s potential for expansion of its economy, the Head of State also reaffirmed that his invitation for regional investments, which was issued last year, is still in effect.
“That invitation is still extended. The states of the Caribbean, particularly Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica have well developed business communities and [today] I’ll be going into the hinterland with one of the CARICOM Prime Ministers to show him [investment] possibilities,” President Granger said.
He pointed out that the Rupununi is larger than Costa Rica, which underscores the fact that its potential is still to be realised.
“I am sure that they are interested and that they’ll be able to take a message back to their countrymen in the business sector to see Guyana and Suriname as a new horizon for development in agriculture and tourism.”
The Head of State also boasted of the fact that Guyana has the “best eco-tourism product on the continent,” while adding that he expects in years to come Guyana will be seeing a lot of development with its Caribbean colleagues.
Quizzed further on whether Guyana remains open to nationals of other Caribbean countries, the President responded in the affirmative.
Regarding Guyana’s role in CARICOM in the coming years, the President noted that the English-speaking country will assist in resolving all difficulties that might have impeded growth in the regional bloc, since its headquarters is located in Georgetown.
He also revealed that the Heads of Government have been informed that Guyana and Suriname combined are larger than Germany, which underscores the need for CARICOM to regard these two states as being part of the hinterland of the Caribbean.
“We’re [Guyana and Suriname] open for investment and we’re open for development and we’re all a part of one community. So Guyana’s land space, Suriname’s land space and our resources, petroleum, gold, diamonds [and] bauxite are all part of the Caribbean patrimony. I want to see us develop together,” President Granger stated.

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