–President Ali outlines transformation plans for the once ‘sleeping town’
PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali has outlined an ambitious vision for Bartica and the wider Region Seven, declaring that the once “sleeping” township is now at the centre of a deliberate, people-centred transformation driven by massive investment in mining, infrastructure, health, education, and social services.
Speaking on the programme ‘Tea on the Terrace’ in Bartica, the President highlighted that Region Seven contributed 41 per cent of Guyana’s gold production in 2025, with small and medium-scale miners declaring more than 105,400 ounces of gold, generating approximately $88 billion in revenue.
According to the President, this activity alone has supported over 20,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, and stimulated growth in sectors such as entertainment, restaurants, hotels, transportation, mechanical engineering, banking, finance, insurance, and other services.
“The small and medium-sized miners alone in Region Seven would have participated in a revenue generation of more than $88 billion,” he said, noting that this demonstrates the crucial role of small and medium-sized enterprises in the regional economy.
FROM ‘SLEEPING TOWN’ TO GROWTH HUB
Dr Ali contrasted Bartica’s current trajectory with the period 2015–2020, which he described as a time when the town was “asleep”, with stalled development, paused mining and a visible absence of investment.
“Between the period 2015 to 2020, Bartica was asleep, nothing was happening. The town was becoming empty. Development was stalled, mining was paused and investment was nowhere to be seen. Today, the story is much different.”
He noted that in just the last five years there have been 10 new quarries established in Region Seven, generating thousands of new jobs and creating downstream opportunities for food services, transport, mechanical and professional services, and logistics. He said these quarries alone represent “tens of billions of dollars” in investment.
The President also pointed to rapid expansion in the forestry sector, with 95 small concessions and 11 large concessions covering 4.3 million acres.
One new company, Oko West, had already employed almost 900 persons by December 2025 and is projected to employ 2,200 persons in Region Seven by October 2026.
“That is what the development translates. That is what the investment translates. That is what support the mining translating. And of course, we have given all the tax concessions, the fiscal incentives, the zero excise tax on fuel. All of these are things that will stimulate confidence in investment and allow the region to grow the way it is going,” he said.
INCENTIVES AND SUPPORT FOR MINERS
To sustain confidence among investors and miners, Dr Ali reiterated the government has provided tax concessions, fiscal incentives and zero excise tax on fuel, all aimed at supporting growth in the natural resources sector.
However, he acknowledged that small and medium-scale miners still face challenges in accessing capital, securing bank accounts and formalising documentation. He outlined plans to develop standard contract frameworks between small miners and large landholders, to ensure fair and common terms and conditions.
Form consortiums of small miners to improve predictability and enable the State to invest in shared infrastructure, instead of supporting isolated operations spread across the interior.
Expand supporting infrastructure, including new airstrips and a bridge to facilitate mining and other productive activities.
Last week, the President had met with several miners from Puruni and Bartica.
