THE World Trade Centre sponsored and hosted the “Global Growth and Commerce Summit” on Thursday at its 44, High Street, Kingston, Georgetown office.

The summit brought together business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, government representatives, and industry experts to discuss opportunities for investment, trade, innovation, and economic growth in Guyana.

Delivering remarks at the event was the Head of the Diaspora Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Rosalinda Rasul, who spoke extensively on the importance of finding the right connections, partnerships, and investor opportunities in Guyana.

Rasul, in her speech, told the gathering that there is a lot happening in Guyana in booth the traditional and nontraditional sectors. The non-traditional sectors: Artificial Intelligence, Supply Chains, and so many others, are all areas that have been growing in Guyana in recent years.

These sectors will need people who have sound ideas that can be developed, and be invested in. According to Rasul, Guyana needs new investments, people with new skill sets and people with the credibility to fund these ideas.

Rasul noted that these people will need to be brought into rooms like this one, to have that conversation.

“You need to now have those conversations that move from just an idea to having a concept to be able to sign a contract to get the money. The key thing about having that right conversation is that I can tell you when people hear about Guyana being an oil economy, and then you hear words like “Little Dubai”, it sends very, very wrong messages to people. They come here with their own interpretation and understanding of generic information,” Rasul expressed.

The Diaspora Unit Head said that this is now a “huge stumbling block for people who may have some great ideas, because they run away with these things, and they’re getting that from generic information, they’re not getting the right conversations about the country, about investors, about what is it they want, what are the pathways, who are the key people you should be talking to, nothing of the sort”.

Rasul continued to say that with the right people in the room stakeholders will receive more accurate information about what they can do in Guyana and understand the opportunities for growth.