US is “here to stay” – Ambassador Lynch on support to Guyana

Outgoing United States Ambassador, Sarah-Ann Lynch has reassured that her Government will continue to support Guyana on its unprecedented development trajectory, noting there are a number of new deals that will further enhance ties between the two countries.
During a recent press conference – her last as she wraps up an almost five-year tenure in Georgetown, Ambassador Lynch noted that the United States is a strong bilateral partner to Guyana and its presence here will remain for a long time.
“We know positive change takes continued effort but the United States Government is proud to be a partner who is here to stay. We will continue to partner with Guyana in the critical areas of governance, economic development, and security. And we will also continue to invest in Guyana’s growing and vital civil society,” she stated.

The outgoing envoy pointed out that Guyana and the US have achieved many successes in recent years at the Government, private sector, and civil society levels. In fact, she noted that bilateral trade between the two countries has tripled over the past four years alone.
Ambassador Lynch further stated that during her tenure, they have been working hard to tell the story of Guyana’s transformation and attract US investors here. This, she added, has resulted in significant historic deals between the two countries.
Among these partnerships is the model gas-to-energy project, for which the Guyana Government is seeking funding from the US Export-Import (EXIM) Bank.
In July 2022, Guyana and the US EXIM Bank signed a US$2 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to finance infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, water treatment and sanitation, and agriculture projects.
Earlier this year, the Government applied for a loan to the tune of $134 million (US$646 million) from the EXIM Bank to finance the multi-billion gas-to-energy project, that will see natural gas being piped from offshore to the facilities in Wales.
Another deal that Ambassador Lynch mentioned between the two nations is the landmark US$750 million carbon credit sale agreement with the US energy major, Hess Corporation. That historic deal was signed in December 2022 for Hess Corp to buy some 37.5 million high-quality certified REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) carbon credits from the Guyana Government between 2022 and 2032.
Moreover, the US diplomat highlighted that these successes are further bolstered by the multiple large trade missions such as the Louisiana Trade Mission – the largest from the US to date – that the Embassy in Georgetown facilitated, which has resulted in US businesspeople getting the opportunity to build meaningful partnerships with local companies, educational institutions, and Government Ministries.
“US companies always bring high standards and responsible business practices to their work, further promoting shared prosperity… There are many opportunities here and not just in the oil and gas sector but across sectors whether it be agriculture, IT services, tourism, manufacturing…”
“The United States has been working very hard, as you know, to bring US companies here to explore and potentially take part in some of these opportunities. And my goal is to get more and more – has been and will continue to be – continue to educate US companies on those opportunities, bring them here, play kind of a match-making role to put them in touch with local companies so they can see all that is available here,” she posited.
According to the outgoing Ambassador, US companies bring some unique things to the table such as quality, excellence on-time for budget projects, and high standards of safety. She noted these are important aspects that Guyanese companies have to think about when they are considering partnering with foreign businesses.
In fact, the US envoy noted that the interest from the US in the local economy is diverse both at the State and private sector levels. This, she noted, was reflected in the recently held International Building Expo in Guyana, which saw participation from several US companies and a major deal signed between the Guyanese Government and New Century International Florida for South Atlantic Logistics and General Service, a New Jersey-based firm, to construct 200 homes at Leonora, West Coast Demerara.
“They have a very unique product whereby they can build a one-storey three-bedroom home in less than a month that’s affordable. So, that sort of unique product is really getting a lot of attention here in Guyana. And I think companies like that, what they’re doing is they’re doing their homework, first of all, they’re coming here to explore Guyana, and they’re listening to the people and Government and others in their conversations, and that’s what we’re encouraging them to do. And that’s resulting in real deals,” the US envoy posited.
According to the Ambassador, there are other US companies that are also looking at major road infrastructure projects and new hotels as well. She added that there is also much scope for new partnerships in other areas such as agriculture, where the US has expertise and tools to assist locals in enhancing their production.
Manufacturing, healthcare, education, and ICT are among other areas where there is growing interest in US businesses.
“So, there are so many different areas and our job in the US Embassy is to describe what we see as areas of opportunity, and then encourage these companies to do exactly what I said, do their homework, come up with a plan, and definitely come here because I think it’s important to build trust with the local partner, for example, that’s also very important… So, I think we are here, we are strong and we will remain here,” the outgoing US Ambassador stressed. (G-8)