5th trade delegation: UK investors eye partnerships in infrastructure, education during Guyana visit

The United Kingdom’s Fifth Trade Delegation to Guyana, which is currently in Guyana, has its eyes fixed on forging partnerships and collaborations in various sectors. Still, more specifically, the mission prioritises deals in infrastructure and education. This was echoed during a welcoming reception for the trade delegation at the British High Commission residence.

The head of the United Kingdom’s Fifth Trade Delegation to Guyana, Chris Bennet, opened his address at the British High Commissioner’s residence with a reflection that set the tone for the evening and the mission ahead.
“It’s a great pleasure to be back here in Guyana for the Fifth trade mission in five years,” he began, grounding his audience in the continuity of the relationship.
He reached back to the delegation’s first arrival in 2020, when Guyana was entering a new era of economic possibility. “When we came five years ago with the first trade mission,” he said, “what was immediate to all of us was that we found a country that was rolling up its sleeves and wanted to get things done.”
That early impression, he suggested, had not only endured but strengthened. With the authority of someone witnessing change in increments and leaps, Bennet recalled how the country’s vision, from both the Government and the private sector, was striking even then: “We saw a vision for Guyana’s future and a determined partnership to make that vision a reality.”
He made clear that Guyana’s rapid development was not accidental but the result of focused effort.
“Because whilst oil revenues make things possible,” he said, “it’s a different thing making things actually happen. And that’s what counts.”
Bennet described a Guyana unrecognisable from the one he had first encountered.
“Coming here on our Fifth visit this year, the progress is really palpable,” he told the gathering. His catalogue of transformation stretched from river to hinterland, from health sector to commercial skyline.
He also spoke of “a new bridge over the Demerara open”, “major new highway open”, “thousands of kilometres of Hinterland Road open”, “new hospitals open”, and “a new shore base at Riedenhut open”. The accumulation of progress transported the audience through a country in motion, culminating in his half-humorous, half-awed observation that “everywhere you look, new office blocks, new restaurants, new cars, lots of cars.”
As he spoke, Bennet invoked President Ali’s now-familiar metaphor for the country’s pace of development: “The President said at one of our earlier events that Guyana is running a marathon at a sprint,” adding, “and that is absolutely what we have witnessed.” The head of delegation framed that sprint not as recklessness but as achievement, the visible result of a Government driving modernization across sectors.
Bennet then detailed the range of British expertise assembled for this year’s mission.
“We’re bringing with us companies who are experts in infrastructure, in financing, bringing specialist equipment in a number of sectors, but most specifically in infrastructure,” he said, moving seamlessly into an acknowledgement of the firms represented, from steel-frame construction to heavy equipment financing, from power generation to healthcare infrastructure and complex procurement. The delegation’s interest in education, however, stood out as a deliberate strategic pillar. He noted that “two companies that are with us can bring global best-in-class training and educational opportunities within the reach of ordinary Guyanese families,” describing education as one of the major successes he had personally observed in Guyana, especially amid the expansion of local content and learning pathways for young people.

Environment
Environmental protection also featured prominently in Bennet’s address. “Finally, in the environment, and obviously Guyana has stood fast in its determination to protect the rainforest and maintain high environmental standards,” he said, adding that the team included companies offering air emissions control technology and maritime domain surveillance systems designed to assist with security and monitoring illegal fishing.
Before concluding, Bennet turned his attention to the nuts and bolts of commerce. specifically, the movement of goods between the two nations. He offered praise for their longstanding country partner: “I’d like to recognise and thank our country partner Kestrel Shipping…instrumental in ensuring a seamless flow of goods and equipment in both directions between the UK and Guyana,” noting the efficiency of a direct 15-day shipping connection and the convenience of the British Airways service that now links Georgetown and London in just over ten hours.
“The UK and Guyana have never been closer,” he remarked, underscoring not only physical connectivity but diplomatic and commercial proximity.
As he closed, Bennet extended gratitude to the President, Ministers, and the many agencies that support the trade mission annually, including the British High Commission, DVT, GCCI, and BritCham.
“We’re delighted to be back in Georgetown,” he said, “and look forward to catching up with you all; old friends and new.”