Region Nine to become a hub for the value-added sector – Dr Ramsaroop

Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo)is poised to become a central hub for logistics and the value-added sector, as Guyana, Northern Brazil and Barbados aim to offset development in this region through a tripartite approach.

GO-Invest’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Peter Ramsaroop highlighted the role of Region Nine in this development at the opening of Rupununi Investment and Business Expo 2022 in Lethem.

The CEO in an invited comment to the Department of Public Information (DPI) explained that raw products from Northern Brazil can be processed at Lethem then transported to other Caribbean countries, including Barbados.

With expansion of Guyana’s ports of entry, “Lethem becomes again, a transit point for goods from Northern Brazil, which is land locked getting through Guyana at a much quicker rate than down the Amazon River,” Dr Ramsaroop explained.

He stated that this will expand the value-added chain for Guyanese products and the Caribbean region.

“In addition, Lethem should be positioning itself to get into the value-added chain. So, for example, growing cassava mega-farms within the region. How do we then move to dehydrating the cassava so the shelf lives become longer, then you can have a better export,” the CEO noted.

GO-Invest and its counterpart Export Barbados will be working together to come up with initiatives geared at training locals to become ready for the new development. The hydropower project at Kumu River and Moco Moco will be driving that development in terms of reducing the security cost.

“That is a key component of infrastructure that is necessary to see the take-off of this region. So, it’s an exciting time for Region Nine. They got to pay attention to what is happening around them, form consortiums and start looking at the logistics train and the value-added component,” Dr Ramsaroop stated.

This will also tie in with the CARICOM’s mission to reduce the food important bill by 25 per cent by 2025.