Former Colombian President: Guyana is a premier business destination

Former President of Colombia, Iván Duque Márquez, has touted Guyana as the premier destination for business opportunities.

He was at the time speaking at the official launch of the DROMINC Asphalt Plant, which opened on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway on Thursday.

Duque emphasised that this is the first Colombian investment in Guyana, adding that it is here to stay, as he announced plans by the company to build four more plants in the country within the next year.

“President Ali, what makes me so happy to be back in this country, is that Guyana is open for business, it’s open for the world, but it’s also in a permanent social and economic transformation that is shaping a new part of history, and marking new stages of history,” he said.

He further stated his belief that the country has struck the right balance by using the oil underground to defeat poverty on the ground while maintaining its forests and rich biodiversity.

As such, he said Guyana is teaching the world how to use its natural assets in a competitive way.

“That’s why in July when President Ali will host the Global Biodiversity Alliance, Guyana is going to demonstrate that its carbon seeking power will be also opportunities for the indigenous communities… for the whole population. That it can mobilise market-driven nature-based solutions and they can also monetise all this assets in order to tell investors that a dollar invested in Guyana is a cleaner dollar than invested somewhere else in the hemisphere,” he said.

Duque related that he is impressed by the way the country has embraced the oil and gas boom and has managed it with fiscal prudence, responsibility, and by investing in the future.

“That’s why President Ali has made a big investment in infrastructure, because infrastructure is connectivity, productivity,” he pointed out.

He further noted that DROMINC sees a successful future of development in Guyana as it will meet the demands of investors who are investing in critical infrastructure in the country.

“I have seen how DROMINC in Guyana has made great impact…through entrepreneurship, sound engineering, the motivation of communities… what impresses me is that this has occurred because of the sound pro-investment policies that distinguish Guyana in this hemisphere. Guyana is a pro-business country,” Duque emphasised.