–President Ali says, calls for unified promotion of ‘Guyana’ brand to boost economic growth

RECOGNISING the potential of Guyana’s reputation as a “major player” in global markets, it is the collective responsibility of all Guyanese to build and promote the nation’s brand to help shape the national trajectory in the years to come.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali made this call during his remarks at this year’s Private Sector Commission (PSC) Annual General Meeting at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.

The Head of State highlighted the pivotal role of promoting the “Guyana” brand as a key driver for the nation’s economic growth and global positioning.
With an ambitious vision for Guyana’s future, President Ali laid out a strategic blueprint focused on unity, optimal resource utilisation, and aggressive marketing.

“These things sound simple, but it matters. Brand Guyana matters. Brand Guyana is a recognised brand. It is a highly sought-after brand.
“Is a very valuable brand. And who are the custodians of the brand? The custodians of the brand are every Guyanese, every member of the private sector,” he declared.

According to President Ali, the government is building capacity through various programmes which also have the potential to promote wealth creation at the household level.
One example he used is the optimal deployment of Guyana’s resources, particularly land.

He proposed an innovative approach to agriculture by utilising shade house technology for hot pepper production, aiming to empower local families and single women.
“So, there are three factors of production. One of the factors of production is land, but we don’t deploy land optimally. So, let us say on the Linden Highway you have farmsteads of an acre each, and they can deploy half an acre.

“You have maybe a thousand families who can deploy half of an acre. That’s 500 acres into a shade house technology for the production of hot pepper, which is in huge demand now because we have worked with the local private sector in Black Bush,” Dr Ali related.

He further highlighted the potential for creating wealth at the household level through this agricultural initiative.
By supporting local production and establishing robust supply chains, the government aims to foster economic empowerment.
“And if we are to expand the shade house technology and give single parents, single women the ability to own one of these houses, we are empowering people, we are building wealth. We are creating wealth at the community level. So, we are going aggressively after these very low-hanging fruits,” he said.

Despite significant challenges over the past few years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, floods, and droughts, Guyana has made remarkable strides in agricultural productivity under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government.
President Ali praised these efforts, noting: “People don’t realise we have done this in an environment in four years where we confronted COVID. For a year and a half, we confronted two floods, two major floods and one major drought, and we have achieved this.”

He also highlighted the importance of strategic partnerships and regional integration.
President Ali highlighted ongoing efforts to collaborate with international companies for local projects, such as the dredging of the Demerara River, to ensure wealth creation within the country.

“We have to be able to create wealth right here by building our capacity to make use of the opportunities. That’s a very simple formula. Very, very simple formula,” he said.
The Head of State emphasised the importance of facilitating the free movement of goods, services, and capital within the region, leveraging Guyana’s position as a leader in regional integration.

CARI Cargo Inc., the company responsible for regional ferry service among Guyana, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago, is incorporated in Georgetown, Guyana.
An evaluation of the ferry service is currently underway and is in the final stages.

“As chair of CARICOM, we have committed ourselves, before the next meeting, to collectively sign on the free movement within the region… Guyana is always allowing full and free movement of capital, of people, of goods and services,” President Ali related.
President Ali’s vision extends beyond regional integration to global markets.

He called for a more aggressive promotion of Guyanese products, such as rum, on the international stage.
“You can’t have every Guyanese promoting that “we have the best rum”, whether it’s XM or El Dorado. And then when you look at the magazines that these rums are advertised [in], you have to peep to see the name Guyana.

You have less known rum in the same magazine, and it says “the pride of” and the country name big,” he pointed out, stressing the need for strategic marketing.
“These things sound simple, but it matters. Brand ‘Guyana’ matters,” he said.
With a forward-looking vision for Guyana, President Ali urged the private sector to engage in a collaborative effort and educational campaign to chart the country’s development path up to 2030 and beyond.
“We must understand the role. You must understand how that role is integrated in policymaking and how you must follow policymaking for development,” he said.