Local brands have the capacity to position ‘Brand Guyana’ globally – President Ali

As Guyana continues to welcome more investment opportunities, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali reiterated the need for local brands to continuously position ‘Brand Guyana’ on the global stage as they promote more economic growth.  

He made the remarks at the official opening of the globally recognised brand, P.F. Chang’s Restaurant at High Street, Kingston on Sunday. 

“I believe that whilst we bring international brands to Guyana, we are developing ‘Brand Guyana’…I want us to use this opportunity as we celebrate the arrival of a global brand in our country to see how we can now position a local brand that we can develop globally. We have the capacity. We can also influence the global market to have our brand position in that market,” he stressed. 

Guyana, he underlined, brings a distinct weight, look and style into the modern economy. 

The government has been making heavy investments in infrastructure, health, education, and other key sectors since August 2020 to improve the standard of living of every Guyanese citizen. 

“We have the capacity and capability. We can also influence the global market to have our brand positioned in that market. It is not beyond us. We have to start thinking outside of the box and be bold in that thinking. These are the things that would set us apart,” the head of state told those gathered. 

President Ali further disclosed that two new American food franchises will soon open in Guyana as the nation’s economy continues to expand at an unparalleled rate. 

Further to that, by the end of 2025, Guyana will have ten new hotels that will feature bars and entertainment spaces. 

“How do we ensure that demand and supply work? In this case, the supply is multifaceted in terms of labour and people. How are we going to ensure that by the time all of these new facilities come on stream that we are investing enough in tourism, promoting tourism and Brand Guyana to bring the traffic that would utilise these services that we are creating, …” he added. 

He highlighted that the private sector must invest in bringing the traffic for the services and the facilities that are being constructed to have the demand structure to support them. 

The president said that every Guyanese has the responsibility now to understand how integral Brand Guyana is. 

“In everything that you do, protect Brand Guyana. That is what we have to do. All of us must be the marketers of Brand Guyana. This must be a unified approach,” he stressed. 

The Guyanese leader commended P.F. Chang for this tremendous achievement of a globally recognised brand in Guyana, by embedding globally in Guyana’s robust economy. 

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of the Corum Group, Clairmont Cummings emphasised that today’s feat represents the culmination of 18 months of hard work, marking a significant milestone for them. 

“As a group, we believe fundamentally that investments like these will only add diversity and growth to the local culinary landscape,” Cummings noted. 

The genuine intent of the restaurant is not only to invest in food concepts but to also create concepts that foster a sense of community, where friends and families can gather to celebrate and create long-lasting memories. 

With the opening of this high-end establishment, Guyanese can now enjoy a distinctive variety of Asian-inspired cuisine and a superb dining experience at the restaurant.  

Also in attendance at the event were First Lady Arya Ali, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water Susan Rodrigues, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond, executive members of P.F Chang, members of the diplomatic corps and other organisations.