THE Guyana Development Bank now has its first Board of Directors, with Abu Zaman as Chairman and Kathy Smith as Deputy Chairperson.
The seven-member board takes office as the Bank begins operations today.
Zaman brings more than a decade of senior leadership in Retail and Small Business Banking. He is currently Chief Administrative Officer of ENet, Chairman of the Small Business Council, and Chairman of the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee of the Natural Resource Fund.
His experience covers executive leadership, governance, financial services, institutional oversight and small business development. He holds an MBA in Leadership and Innovation and a bachelor’s degree in management.
Smith is the first woman President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry and is Vice Chairperson of the Private Sector Commission. She has more than two decades of public and private sector experience. She also chairs the Board of Industrial Training and serves as a Board Trustee of Iwokrama River Lodge.
Her leadership spans business, energy, workforce development and SME capacity building, and she has a particular interest in advancing women and youth in Guyana’s economy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and a Graduate Certificate in Management.
Joining them as directors is James Bond, an Attorney-at-Law of twenty-four years’ standing who began his career as a State Counsel in the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions. He represented the State at the Criminal Assizes in Essequibo, Berbice and Demerara.
He is a Member of Parliament for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic and Senior Legal Advisor to the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation. He is Managing Director of Bond Optimum and was Chairman of the Adoption Board from 2017 to 2020. He also served on the National Sports Commission in 2015 and as President of the Guyana Chess Federation from 2017 to 2019.
Sukrishnalall Pasha is a financial analyst, academic and public sector leader with extensive experience in public financial management and institutional governance.
He is Finance Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Chairman of the Bureau of Statistics, and a Member of the Board of Governors of the Guyana Revenue Authority and the Council of the University of Guyana.
He previously served as a Commissioner of the Public Procurement Commission and Chairman of the Small Business Council. He is also a Senior Lecturer at the University of Guyana, and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in accounting and finance.
Dion Inniss is a senior corporate aviation manager with over twenty-five years in the airline industry. As Sales Executive for Guyana and Suriname at Caribbean Airlines Limited, he leads commercial strategy and regional stakeholder engagement. He is also a member of the National Sports Commission and the third Vice-President of the Guyana Football Federation, where he advances youth empowerment and grassroots community development. He brings strong expertise in connectivity and human capital.
Nalinie Singh is a governance reform strategist who specialises in institutional development, democratic governance and youth political inclusion. Her expertise spans policy analysis, strategic planning, institutional reform, civic engagement and public administration. She sits on the Board of Governors of her alma mater, The Bishops’ High School, and is a Commissioner of the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission. She holds a master’s degree in political science and an advanced diploma in Business Administration.
Praem Rambharak, a former columnist and educator, has helped establish multiple SMEs over two decades. He is a member of the President’s Youth Advisory Council and works at the intersection of innovation, public service and youth empowerment. He holds a PhD in Management, a master’s degree in small and medium enterprise management, and a diploma in engineering.
The Bank’s creation began with the PPP/C Manifesto, which promised an SME Development Bank offering zero-interest micro-credit loans, along with mentorship and support where appropriate.
Budget 2026, presented to the National Assembly on January 26, 2026, then provided zero-collateral, zero-interest loans of up to $3 million each for bankable SME endeavours.
Following approval of the budget on February 14, 2026, the Guyana Development Bank Bill 2026 was drafted and published in the Official Gazette on June 4. It was submitted to the National Assembly and received its first reading on June 5. The Bill passed its second and third readings on July 27, 2026, and received Presidential Assent on July 30, when the Guyana Development Bank Act 2026 was published in the Official Gazette. On September 16, 2026, the Minister signed and gazetted the Commencement Order, designating October 5, 2026 as the day the Act takes effect.
The board’s appointment coincides with the Act’s commencement. Its initial term runs from October 5, 2026 to December 31, 2027, setting the stage for the Bank to begin operations.
