INVITING ANSA McAL to think of the economic landscape of Guyana in the coming years, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond has said that she would like to see the company be not only a distributor in Guyana for foreign products, but also a distributor overseas for Guyanese products.
In its 30 years of operations in Guyana, ANSA McAL Limited has recorded immense success and rapid growth, which is testimony to the country’s commitment to regionalism, Minister Walrond said.
In her address at the company’s ceremony to celebrate its 30-year journey in Guyana, the minister said the success of regional companies such as ANSA McAl provide a fitting example for other regional companies to emulate.
She added that the success and longevity of those companies also prove that with patience and good faith, there are rewards for all others who operate locally.
According to Minister Walrond, from the original establishment of trade and distribution operations here, the company has since expanded to ANSA Motors, ANSA Construction, ANSA Logistics and ANSA Rentals.
She highlighted that the company has also chosen to extend its branches outside of Georgetown, and launched a new facility on the lower East Coast of Demerara, and, most recently, commissioned a US$2 million facility at Palmyra, in Berbice.
Such a significant investment in that County, Minister Walrond underscored, was something that probably would not have been thought of 30 years ago. However, successive PPP/C administrations have shaped the environment in which companies are able to make these types of expansions.
“I would argue that the fact ANSA now finds it profitable to invest at this scale outside of Georgetown is in no small part possible because of our government’s sustained commitment to broad-based development all across this country,” the minister said.
She referred to statements by ANSA McAl’s Managing Director, Troy Cadogan, who expressed full confidence in the government’s policy decisions, as the company continues to examine further areas for investments.
Those decisions on further investments in the country are being made as a result of the confidence in those policies.
With those types of expansion, Walrond added that the company is aligned with the government’s vision for Guyanese in every region of the country to experience the best of what is offered, as well as the realisation of the vision of broad-based inclusionary development.
She noted that it is the government’s vision for citizens in Region Eight, for instance, to be able to access and enjoy goods and services of the same standard as citizens in Georgetown, and they should also be able to access all benefits available to those on the coast.
She added: “Your expansion brings not only goods and services, but also employment to people wherever you operate, you will therefore find us in government to be willing partners wherever you seek to establish a meaningful presence and to build on our platform of One Guyana.”