The members of the Trade Delegation pose with President Irfaan Ali, High Commissioner Jane Miller and members of the private sector
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL
President Ali said that while the country is open for business and welcomes foreign investments, the partnerships must resonate with benefits of all stakeholders.
“We are absolutely, without a doubt, open for foreign investment… We are without a doubt part of a regional integration movement, but we are also without a doubt responsible to ensure that the local private sector and the people benefit from the opportunities that come.”
He reminded that while there are challenges ahead, those can be overcome to create a market of opportunity and competitiveness.
He spoke of his Government’s plans to address the cost of energy, diversify the energy portfolio, build human capacity, invest in infrastructure, modernise the legal architecture, safeguard foreign and local investments and support integration, partnership and networking. “We believe in these things.”
The Government will be guided by its enhanced Low Carbon Development Strategy, since creating a balance between development and environmental conservation remains paramount.
Equally important, according to the President, is to ensure that all Guyanese benefit from the country’s growth.
“We want to create the balance; we are going to ensure that people of this country are treated fairly, that the country is treated fairly. We don’t want to be in a partnership where we are barking every day…instead, we want to work together to get the best possible outcome for the people of the country.”
The President, who said that he was “very impressed” with the diverse portfolio of the representatives, called on them to make their own assessments of the opportunities that exist.
He said too that the country is already in possession of amazing ideas, project documents and project proposals and that the next step was accessing the needed resources.
“So welcome to the land of opportunity, a land of great talent and a land in which the future is built on partnerships to create nothing but win-win scenarios.”
Along with the President and host of the evening, H.E Jane Miller; Deputy High Commissioner, Ray Davidson; Managing Director of the Caribbean Council Chris Bennett; CEO of GO-Invest, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop; President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce (GCCI) Timothy Tucker and other private sector representatives were also at the networking event. (Press Release by Office of the President)
