PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar yesterday declared open the spanking new $250M Courts Guyana Inc. 8th branch store at Great Diamond, East

Bank Demerara urging the furniture and household appliances giant to demonstrate their corporate responsibility by giving back to the community.
He said that Courts Guyana Inc. has over the years become a household name and they are a trend setter in which they have succeeded in creating competition in the manufacture of high-end furniture as well as household appliances and since their entry into the local market they have a wide range of products to choose from.
The Head of State added that Courts Guyana Inc. contributed to the sector in which they raised the bar in providing quality furniture for Guyanese and at the Building Expo he saw they had bamboo flooring and as well as bamboo furniture which is quite noteworthy and unique.
Ramotar stated that a few years ago the area in which the Courts Guyana Inc. store is standing was cane- fields and today the landscape has been transformed into a hub of activities and businesses, observing that Courts is in the right location for commerce, owing to the vastly populated new housing scheme and the presence of three commercial banks there.
He said that they are currently expanding the roadway to a 4-lane highway and efforts are being made to link the East Coast Demerara and East Bank Demerara roads to stimulate economic development, since Diamond has become a buzz of activity in business and housing development.
The President added that Diamond is considered a secondary town and within sometime it will blossom into a full fledged township.
He noted that Courts Guyana Inc. chose the perfect location for prudent business to grab the opportunities that the site has to offer, and will serve the needs of the community in which they can shop in great comfort and utilise the hire purchase system in place.
He also urged Courts Guyana Inc. to give back to the community and play their role in enhancing the social development of the residents, who are important stakeholders.
The President said he was pleased to be associated with the launching yesterday afternoon.
Following the opening of the newest Courts Guyana Inc. store at 589-599 Public Road, Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara, President Donald Ramotar got a first hand tour of  the facility and was impressed with the variety of furniture and household appliances available at the outlet.
Also present was Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, who noted the rapid growth taking place on the East Bank Demerara corridor, and recalled the arrival of Courts in Guyana where they set a high standard in providing quality furniture to customers and also created financing for the acquisition of home furnishing for customers.
He said that the average man was able to walk into the store and walk out with the purchase of his choice as a result of the access to financing, once he had proof of his income, which is commendable and Courts over the years has become synonymous with “Hire Purchase”.
The minister however, urged Courts Guyana Inc. to re-examine the issue of the cost of financing, owing to the fact that they have a large customer base as any utility in Guyana, and also find ways to extend their reach across the country.
He noted that strides are being made to have the Credit Bureau Bill passed in Parliament where financing would become easier in which licence would be granted for businesses to establish a Credit Bureau.
Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali told the gathering yesterday that Courts Guyana Inc. and Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) over the years developed and excellent business relationship through partnership and by their creation of jobs for many.
He revealed that Courts Guyana Inc. will soon embark on the construction of a state-of-the-art Distribution facility to the tune of US$6M in three years time and the area is ripe for development, in which 17,000 new houses were constructed and 8000 allocations were approved, and that corridor will also see more developments in the near future in which five new private sector projects at a cost of $31M will be undertaken.
Ali said that Courts is noted for their excellent customer and care services and it also provides high standard of shopping for customers in which they utilise the hire purchase facility.
Meanwhile, Courts Guyana Inc. Managing Director, Clyde de Haas said yesterday that it all started when they saw a thriving East Bank Demerara community and the dire need to expand their operations to meet the demands of the developing corridor.
He added that the vision of the government to provide Guyanese with an affordable home saw the rapid development of not only the Diamond community, but the entire East Bank from Eccles and beyond.
de Haas said that to deliver on their brand promise of “Bringing Value Home” they had no other choice than to provide East Bank Demerara customers with a shopping environment suitable to their needs.
He told the gathering that the building was constructed at a cost of $250M by the shareholders of the Unicomer Group of Companies to facilitate the shopping needs of customers on the East Bank Demerara, and also said that they made a donation of $2M to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.
The opening ceremony of the store yesterday saw prayers, songs, dance, drum fusion and steel pan music, but the song performed by Tennicia De Freitas “Texting” was the much liked by those present.