–over 200 direct jobs to be created

AS part of its commitment to ensuring that no region is left behind, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government has set out to achieve transformative development in every community.

To this end, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest), Dr. Peter Ramsaroop, said on Wednesday that “tens of millions of dollars” in investment have already been earmarked for the mining town of Linden, Region 10.

During a press conference held following a tour of the Midas BPO (Kara Kara Call Centre), Dr. Ramsaroop said that Go-Invest has signed investment packages with a few big companies that are seeking to expand and develop the township.

“We recently signed an investment package with a large cement plant in Linden that is doing quite a bit of construction work in building houses in Linden.

“We are about to sign another investment package with a medical supply company to do oxygen bottling and other types of packaging. In the region, we recently had some large mega farms in soya bean and corn and we are about to do some more in that… We have another investor who came to put up a steel factory right outside of Linden,” the Go-Invest CEO said.

He added that the investments will create over 200 direct jobs for Lindeners. And, with the development and transformation of the mining town, Dr. Ramsaroop underscored the need for the establishment of more commercial industries such as gas stations in the region.

“This is where I recommend Region 10 folks pay attention to as what the government is doing, what the private sector is doing and figuring out where you fit,” he said.

Since being elected to government, the PPP/C has effected a significant change in the investment climate locally. Within just a few months, several Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) were signed to build hotels, expand agriculture, healthcare and other critical sectors.

Just in November, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, highlighted how busy it was in back-to-back meetings with prospective investors for Guyana’s economic space.

“Today, more than ever before, international visitors, international investors, international companies and your more discerning domestic consumer is looking for brands that they recognise.

“And so, it’s not an accident that we’re seeing today the turning of the sod of more Marriotts, more Hyatts, more Best Westerns, the entry of international food chains, the entry of international brands in literally every sector and segment of economic activity,” the senior minister said during the launch of a local branch of the world-class real estate firm, RE/MAX.

In addition to more international investors, Dr. Singh sees domestic consumers as now more discerning in looking for goods and services of a quality not previously found in the Guyanese marketplace.

It is for this reason that he said this is the age in which Guyanese will see more demand for goods and services to be delivered in compliance with a level of standards that was never before in demand. (DPI)