Diaspora investment in local economy contributing to nationwide transformation

Government’s charge to Guyanese in the diaspora to return home and invest in Guyana’s flourishing economy has once again yielded positive results that will provide a revolutionary new service to the country.

The dairy market is set to experience rapid growth and transformation in the coming weeks as Sterling Products Limited and Amaya Milk Company have joined forces in an agreement to achieve this common goal.

According to the two companies, the partnership is set to bring fresh, high-quality milk and dairy products to Guyanese across the country.

Speaking at the recent launching at Parc Rayne, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Amaya Milk Company, Canada-based Guyanese, Omkaar Sharma, expressed his enthusiasm at being able to make the service available to Guyanese.

“To be able to offer fresh, nutritious, milk to Guyanese after so many years of substandard alternatives, is a truly invigorating feeling. It truly gets me out of bed in the morning,” he shared.

Sharma noted that the idea for the project was birthed after him and his wife brought their now eight-year-old daughter, Amaya, to Guyana, and it was ‘virtually impossible’ to find fresh milk at the supermarkets.

“At that time, I was working in the dairy sector in North America, and that felt crazy to me. It was something that I couldn’t believe; that Guyana of all places did not have a functioning dairy sector. We have all the conditions for a successful dairy sector [here]. We have the land, the animals, the people, and the knowledge. Why don’t we have a dairy sector?”

He explained that after considering the idea for some time, he realised that it was a great opportunity for him to fulfill an almost lifelong dream of returning to Guyana and doing something that would make a difference and have a tremendous impact on the lives of many, while also making a meaningful contribution to the Guyanese economy.

“So, even though the conditions were not quite right at that time… I knew that the [political] situation would not persist. I started to plan this project in the background as we all waited… for the inevitable. When Dr. Ali was elected president and he appealed to the diaspora to come back to Guyana and invest in Guyana, I knew that that time had come,” Sharma expressed.

He also signalled his intention to continue building the economy not just in Guyana, but on a regional scale to assist in the development of the food production sector.

“25 by 2025 was, and continues to be music to my ears. It is my inspiration. When I saw all the hard work put in by our Honourable Agriculture Minister, and by Dr. Ramsaroop of GO-Invest, to make investing in Guyana easier, I knew that the government meant business. They were standing behind their words, and I knew that this business will succeed,” Sharma underscored.

He shared his appreciation for the outpour of support he received from both the public and private sector, and noted that the partnership with Sterling was as a direct result of one of the calls he received after announcing the project.

“Sterling Products Limited stands out to me as a company that cares for its people, the environment, and the country. These are all things that are profoundly important to me and things that I am working to instill in Amaya Milk Company. I am truly excited to stand here today and look to a future in which Amaya Milk Company will be producing 100 per cent local, high-quality, nutritious dairy products, and Sterling Products Limited will be distributing those products to the Guyanese population,” he said.

Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Products Limited, Ramsay Ali, expressed his excitement and satisfaction with the partnership and reiterated the company’s commitment to bringing the best products to customers across the region.

“We are very pleased with what we have here. It is a good sign for the rest of the private sector… that companies can work together,” he said.

Minister of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, stated that collaborations like these demonstrate government’s commitment to ensuring a strong relationship with the private sector.

“We are a government that wants to make sure investor confidence is so strong and ripe that you’re able to step out by providing as much as we can, stability in the macroeconomic environments, and sustainability as well, and to provide also the regulatory framework so that there is predictability,” she expressed.

Since entering office in 2020, government has repeatedly sounded the call for Guyanese living abroad to return to Guyana and take part in its historic development.

The charge has seen numerous Guyanese returning to establish ties with government, make investments in the private sector, and act as liaisons between Guyana and other countries.