“Guyana’s growth, success must translate to success for the Caribbean” – CDB President

The newly appointed President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Daniel Best, has underscored the importance of Guyana’s rapid economic growth benefiting the entire Caribbean region.

During his first official visit in his new role, Best reaffirmed the CDB’s commitment to supporting Guyana’s development, and strengthening regional integration.
Speaking during a televised programme, Best emphasized Guyana’s key role in the CDB’s development agenda, noting that the country holds one of the most diverse portfolios within the institution.
Additionally, he acknowledged the leadership of President Irfaan Ali in advocating for a regional approach to economic progress.
“Guyana is a founding member of CDB. Guyana also at this moment has easily one of the most diverse portfolios in the Caribbean Development Bank. It is not a stretch to say that your president, President Ali, has been one of the major leaders in the region and also globally, and has on repeated occasions stated that Guyana’s growth, Guyana’s success, must translate to success for the Caribbean. This is the ethos of regionalism. This is the ethos of the Caribbean Development Bank,” Best said.
During his visit, Best toured several CDB-funded projects, including the Linden-to-Mabura Hills Road, the largest infrastructure project in the bank’s history. With a price tag of US$190 million, the 121-kilometre road aims to boost trade between South America and the Caribbean by linking Guyana’s interior to its capital city and port.
Best described the road as a “South American Silk Route” that will facilitate trade between Brazil, Guyana, and the wider Caribbean, transforming economic prospects for the region.
Beyond infrastructure, he highlighted the importance of ensuring that communities along the road benefit from economic opportunities while preserving their cultures and way of life.
“It opens up South America such that trade can flow from Brazil all the way to the port of Georgetown and therefore reach the archipelago that are the islands of the Caribbean. We speak in here essentially, we’re opening a South American Silk Route, if you will, if I may be allowed to use that term. The transformative impact of this project on Guyana and the Caribbean region and South America will be incredible. But it’s not just the infrastructure and that trade route that I’m excited about”.
“It is what we’re doing in that project as well. We are building in capacity building, skills development for the persons who live along the road. Their lives will be impacted and changed and it has to be for the better,” he added.
Best reaffirmed that Guyana remains a crucial partner for the CDB and that the institution is committed to ensuring the nation’s economic growth leads to broader regional success.
“The future of the bank is inextricably linked to the future of Guyana,” he said, adding that the CDB’s diverse portfolio in the country—from large-scale infrastructure projects to community-based initiatives—demonstrates a balanced approach to sustainable development.