300 to be employed at Enmore call center – Minister Singh

─ says 2022 budget will cater for similar facilities

Some 300 residents from Enmore and surrounding communities along the East Coast of Demerara will soon be employed, as government plans to open a call center there.

Senior Minister in the office of the President with responsibility for finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, M.P, said the move by government is aligned with its commitment to stimulate opportunities, create jobs and improve the lives of Guyanese.

Minister Singh made the announcement on Saturday, while addressing hundreds of severed sugar workers, during the distribution of the $250,000 cash grant exercise, at the Enmore Estate Compound.

“I myself visited here just a few weeks ago with one or two possible operators, who are interested in establishing a call center in Enmore. We said there are a lot of young people in Enmore looking for jobs, and very shortly we will have a call center established right here,” the minister said.

Dr. Singh said a building was constructed during the former PPP/C Government’s reign, with the intention of establishing a call center in Enmore.

“We have built buildings like this elsewhere, there is one in Tuschen and one here. There is one in Linden and we will be building more from Budget 2022, with the intention of partnering with call center companies that will establish operations.

First and foremost, you know who those people are? Most of those people will be your children, your grandchildren, your nieces, you nephews, right here in this building, and we would be going to do many similar buildings like this,” the finance minister added.

He said while government is pressing ahead to revitalise the sugar industry, it recognises that many sugar workers also have significant skills, which are easily transferable and could contribute tremendously to the development of other sectors.

Dr Singh said whatever shape or form the sugar industry might take,
“ once it is reopened, we don’t want anyone to feel that they are confined only to work in the sugar estates, you are free to work in any sector of the economy.” The finance minister assured that government will continue to create more employment opportunities for its citizens, and urged Guyanese to be more proactive in exploring those opportunities.