Commerce Minister reiterates “Guyana is open for business” during tour of Regus

“Guyana is open for business” was the invitation given by Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Minister Oneidge Waldron to investors as she spoke of the significant growth Guyana will receive from its booming oil sector.

Minister Waldron made this statement during a recent tour of Regus at 65 Waterloo Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown.
Regus which opened its first service centre in Guyana last year has an unparalleled global network of 3100 business centres in 1000 cities across 110 countries offering office space, co-working, meeting spaces, and memberships, helping over 2.5 million people have a great day at work.
All services offices are supplied with furniture, high-speed internet, and a staffed reception, with additional services such as meeting rooms and business packages available. Each private office can be rented for long-term or short-term durations and can be upgraded to add more desks and services as required.

As she observed the facilities, Walrond said, “This is just one of the examples of the facilities that are going to be available to investors as they come, and they seek to do business here in Guyana. This is an important solution to start-up businesses and people who are coming to do their fact-finding missions.”
According to the Minister, with Regus, investors will have a space that is professional and secure. She added that she believes the facilities will be overrun by clients very soon “as we know the interest that is being placed in Guyana right now.”
Meanwhile, Regus’ Operations Director for the Caribbean, Stuart May said that the company started operations in Guyana not only because of the developments in the oil business but the mining and many other business areas that are seeing development.

May disclosed that the PPP/C Government has been supportive in the setting up of Regus. “We would surely urge companies to come to Guyana and explore the opportunities because Guyana is certainly opened for business,” he added.
He further added that the ease of doing business in Guyana is considerably better than in many other countries since the processes are streamlined and support and advice is being provided through the various Ministries and the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest).
“I am hoping that companies can come and support and not come in and monopolise the opportunities. You are going to find a highly educated workforce in Guyana that is on par or above many of those you experience elsewhere in the world. All that is needed is the right training.”
Talking about his experience in Guyana, May noted that everybody wants to train. “You don’t have to push someone to take an opportunity. They are taking it with two hands and exceeding the expectations you place on them.”
According to him, Guyana is a very interesting country. He, however, cautioned that it is not a country that you can just understand by “googling it”. “There are opportunities, but you have to come and meet with people,” he said while adding that legislation will be passed to encourage companies to partner with local businesses “so that Guyana can develop as a nation.”
At its opening last December, Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat welcomed Regus to Guyana by saying “We are delighted to welcome the Regus brand into the Guyana market. As the oil and gas industry takes centre stage in our growing economy, offerings from serviced office providers such as Regus, are a great option for companies needing instant and professional workspaces.”
“We look forward to seeing the positive impact these centres will have on our economy, as the products and services offered will definitely help improve the ease-of-doing-business in Guyana, not just for new entrants but for existing businesses too.”