Manufacture in Guyana’s growing market, not just sell – Pres Ali tells foreign companies

President Dr Irfaan Ali has issued a call to foreign manufacturers benefiting from Guyana’s growing market, to invest in local production and value-added industries or risk losing access to Guyanese consumers. Speaking on Saturday evening at the commissioning ceremony of Jags Aviation Inc’s new Dornier 228 aircraft, manufactured by India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the President said Guyana is no longer interested in solely being a consumer market and wants greater foreign investment in manufacturing and agro-processing.
The aircraft was delivered in March to Jags Aviation, a subsidiary of the BK Group of Companies owned by businessman Brian Tiwari. This acquisition follows an earlier purchase of two similar aircraft by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
Addressing HAL representatives and Indian officials, President Ali renewed his call for the Indian aerospace manufacturer to establish a regional service and manufacturing presence in Guyana. He noted that Guyana’s confidence in HAL was never limited to purchasing aircraft. “We cannot go forward without value creation and manufacturing in this country. And that is where our energy must be,” the President underscored. “HAL and India are now placed to the test… I said to HAL, and I said to the Prime Minister (PM) of India, we are not interested in buying an aircraft. We are demonstrating our confidence in buying, yes. But we want you to establish a commercial hub and a service hub for HAL here in Guyana. And now that you’ve seen the private sector in Guyana backing a policy decision, the ball is in your court.” The Head of State said Guyana has already demonstrated its commitment to the partnership and is now expecting greater investment from the company.
“You have to put skin in the game. You have seen our interest. You have seen that we were willing to walk this journey with you. HAL needs to establish, firmly, its footprint in Guyana for the Caribbean and South American market. You have to build the sector here. You have to join us here. We are not your marketers. We are your partners,” he stated. “There are hundreds of hours behind the scenes, studying, reading, analysing, understanding, looking at the geopolitical weight of decisions. All of that went to making the decision that HAL can operate here in Guyana. And I’m pleased that today, following Guyana defence force, the commercial wing of our aviation sector has now embraced this decision.” The President also used the occasion to deliver a broader message to foreign producers whose products are widely consumed in Guyana, saying they should establish manufacturing operations in the country. “If we are not good enough for you to manufacture and produce your goods by investing in our economy, then we are not good enough to consume your goods too,” Ali declared. He argued that Guyana has already created one of the most attractive investment environments in the region for manufacturing and agro-processing. “We have given all the incentives for agro-processing. We have given all the incentives for manufacturing. There is nothing or no other economy in the region that offers more policy-based incentives for agro-processing than Guyana. It is time the region’s manufacturers bring that manufacturing here if they are going to continue to expand in this market,” he said.
The President pointed to local beverage giant Banks DIH as an example of a company embracing the Government’s vision for expanded manufacturing and agro-processing. “I challenge Banks DIH. And I said to [Chairman] Clifford [Reis], you need to take up the mantle and build out the agro-processing and manufacturing hub for food and snacks. And I’m pleased that Banks DIH took up that challenge,” he said. Ali also highlighted ongoing discussions with the Dominican Republic (DR) aimed at increasing local production. “And I’m partnering with the DR in a major way. Because the DR understands, they get it. And I said to the President there, we don’t only want the sausage fresh and nice and well-priced, we want it manufactured in Guyana,” he added. The President praised Jags Aviation’s growth and suggested that Guyana’s aviation operators should explore the possibility of developing a regional airline. “Indeed, I believe that our aviation players should come together to look towards developing a regional carrier because Guyana’s ambitions now seem limitless,” he said. Ali said the recently established Ministry of Aviation reflects the Government’s commitment to transforming Guyana into a regional aviation leader. “We must not be a responsive market. We must be a market that is setting our own standards and setting the trajectory of aviation for the region. That is a market we must be interested in creating,” the President stated.