The Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), in collaboration with the Canada–Guyana Chamber of Commerce, on Monday hosted a “Doing Business in Guyana” briefing for members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Business Association as part of the group’s ongoing trade mission to Guyana.
The session was chaired by GO-Invest Senior Manager of Investment Rehana Ragoobeer and featured a presentation by Senior Director of Investment John Edghill, who outlined Guyana’s investment framework, non-discriminatory policies and priority development sectors. Officials noted that with a national budget of about US$7.5 billion and oil revenues of roughly US$2.5 billion, the government is placing strong emphasis on expanding non-oil sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, tourism, forestry, mining and specialized services.
Participants were briefed on key opportunities in agro-processing—estimated at about US$3 billion in regional demand and supported by recent tax incentives—as well as housing and construction, with more than 15,000 house lots allocated. Other growth areas highlighted included the Gas-to-Shore Project, expected to significantly reduce energy costs and double national generation capacity, and tourism, with projections of up to three million visitors annually by 2030.
Technical presentations were also delivered by the Guyana Revenue Authority, the National Insurance Scheme, and the Deeds and Commercial Registry, providing practical guidance on business registration, tax compliance and statutory requirements. Private-sector partners, including GBTI, HLB R. Seebarran & Co. and EXCEL Guyana Inc., addressed financing options, workforce planning and operational setup.
Officials told the delegation that Guyana is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation, compressing decades of infrastructure and economic development into a short timeframe. Investors were encouraged to align with national priorities, partner with credible local institutions and leverage a policy environment designed to support long-term, diversified and sustainable investment.
GO-Invest said it continues to facilitate structured engagements between the visiting delegation, public agencies and private-sector partners to advance sustainable, well-structured investment partnerships.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Business Association (Canada) delegation is in Guyana from Feb. 2–6 and is meeting with key stakeholders across priority sectors during the visit.