Last Updated on Tuesday, 26 June 2018, 7:49 by Written By Denis Chabrol
Preparations are being stepped up for the October staging of a major Green Guyana Expo and International Business Summit to be co-hosted by several government ministries, State agencies and international organizations including the Inter American Development Bank (IDB), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and others.
The two-day event to be held at the National Stadium, Providence is being organized to demonstrate business opportunities in a Green Economy. Exhibitors from across the country, Caribbean, North America and Europe have all signaled plans to attend and participate at the expo and summit in keeping with Government’s thrust to push the concept of a Green Economy.
“This event is about a future of incredible opportunities and of an inclusive economy in which Guyana has taken the bold step of indicating it will pursue a Green Economy,” said Eric Phillips of African Business Roundtable. The event’s theme will be “Sustainable Economic Growth Through Small Business Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Transformative Government Policies.”
Cabinet has already approved an GY$18 million budget for the event which will include participation by agencies like Environmental Protection (EPA), the Guyana Energy Authority (GEA), the Ministry of the Presidency, Conservation International (CI), Central Housing and Planning (CHPA) and the African Business Roundtable (ABR) among others.
President David Granger, who has been pushing the Green Economy concept since winning the 2015 regional and general elections, has already agreed to declare open the expo and summit. Exhibits will include electric vehicles, the latest in solar power technology and newer mercury free mining systems.
Phillips believes that Guyana “cannot compete effectively in a brown economy” by first investing revenues from oil production expected to begin in March, 2020. “We do not have comparative and competitive advantage. The green economy will offer us both of those as we will use the resources of oil sector to allow our small businesses to be globally competitive in this new and emerging green, global economy”.
He added that an energy-efficient green economy is expected to create new markets, industries and jobs through maximum participation by Guyanese.
