Kaieteur News- United States (U.S.) Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot has encouraged more American companies to take advantage of the “incredible opportunities” that exist in Guyana to conduct business.
The Ambassador was speaking at a panel discussion during the recently concluded International Business Conference (IBC) held at the Marriott Hotel, Kingston, Georgetown.
“There are incredible opportunities here for those who are patient, willing to listen and sincerely want to get to know the country, and I truly hope more and more U.S. companies will take advantage of these opportunities,” Ambassador Theriot told attendees.
U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot
The U.S. envoy noted the role being played by American companies in training the local workforce. The Ambassador made it clear that U.S. companies have diverse interests adding, “Guyana may have discovered oil in 2015 but is still new to many U.S. investors.”
“So, of course, most of you know about oil and gas here, but others might be surprised to hear about the franchising opportunities in Guyana. There are so many US franchises, ranging from hotels to restaurants to logistics providers, and that’s why every chance I get, I encourage U.S. businesses to come to Guyana and take a look for themselves,” Ambassador Theriot said.
The U.S. diplomat reiterated that there are many opportunities and noted that President Irfaan Ali has repeatedly mentioned the need for foreign investment in Guyana’s non-oil sectors.
“…and we definitely want to see that too. In fact, we have another U.S. trade delegation coming in next week,” she disclosed.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Theriot applauded the organisers of the IBC noting that the sessions focused heavily on Guyana’s role in boosting the economy of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and being an exporter.
Ambassador Theriot also spoke of the coming on stream of the country’s gas-to-energy project that will allow Guyana to export its surplus natural gas products throughout the Caribbean thereby gaining “incredible dividends in terms of energy security, which, of course, is one of the United States’ top priorities. Of course, gas-to-energy will also make manufacturing more competitive by bringing down the cost of energy.”
The envoy said that although Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is impressive the country’s best days are still to come.
“ExxonMobil and its partners are adding a new FPSO nearly every year, and major new infrastructure projects such as gas-to-energy will make life better for everyone…You can say the same for Suriname, U.S. based oil company, APA Corporation, alongside French company, TOTAL (TOTALEnergies) just announced a $10.5billion investment in Suriname’s offshore oil industry. Likewise, the bridge linking Guyana and Suriname will greatly increase trade between the two countries,” the Ambassador added.
