Visiting Barbadian high-level team sees more investment opportunities here

Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill, on Sunday met with the high-level Barbados
Housing and Investment Mission team at the Watooka Guest House Linden, Region 10.
Headed by Barbadian Transport, Works and Maintenance Minister, DrWilliam Duguid, the
visiting delegation arrived in Guyana last Friday to seek investment opportunities and strengthen
trade relations between the two Caricom nations. Dr. Duguid said the fact-finding undertaking
has already identified many areas for investments. “We have done a lot of travelling around from
various locations and we are going to see also what is available here from the quarry point of
view, [We are] looking for sources for sand and crusher run for our road construction,” the
Barbadian government minister said.

He noted that similarly, his country will seek to export cement to Guyana, since it has an
effective plant. He said too that Guyana can receive bitumen from Barbados. “So far, we have
seen lots of promises and lots of opportunities for synergies with both nations … the future of
Guyana and our trade relations look so bright. I am really happy with how things are
going,” Minister Duguid said. The move for the two countries to begin investment relations and
development stemmed from bilateral discussion between President Irfaan Ali and Barbados
Prime Minister, Mia Mottley. President Ali had initiated talks with Prime Minister Mottley last
October in Barbados, during the 15th Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD 15).
Edghill noted that the three-day visit by the Barbadian delegation, shows that Caricom is
working effectively, and that leaders can use their political will to rise above challenges and
obstacles for development. “We have seen that with His Excellency, Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali
and Suriname’s President, Chan Santokhi, and now this is a second demonstration of an
engagement started between President Ali and Prime Minister Mia Mottley and here we are as
Cabinet level ministers exploring and following up on those discussions to ensure that they
become reality,” Minister Edghill said.
He continued, “Whatever we are doing, we want to ensure it benefits all of our people. It must
lend to the development of Caricom, it must strengthen the resolve that we have to make the
Caribbean a zone that is free from poverty,”.
It was noted that the delegation also toured several facilities in the mining town including the
Chetram Brothers Sawmill and Zinc Manufacturing, where the possibility of exporting high
quality wood to Barbados was also discussed. Edghill noted that trading opportunities like these
will definitely advance the Caribbean into a first world environment. “We should not always be
left behind just being referred to as a small island or third world countries, but we must be
recognised for what we are doing. We can’t do it all by ourself, but certainly together we can get
it done, and I think that’s what we are doing,” Minister Edghill added.