Finance Minister assures that more jobs will be created

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, says the government recognises that one of the most important things for young people is the availability of jobs and as a result, the administration will continue to seek opportunities and investments for job creation.

Dr Singh said investments by the government and the private sector in the coming months will not only create direct jobs but also indirect employment. The Finance Minister spoke with reporters on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday and noted that as a result of the government’s policy for doing business, there are a number of investments in Guyana which will create hundreds of jobs.

“Every investor that comes to Guyana or every domestic investor that invests in a new project is creating jobs, so every time you hear a new business coming to Guyana in response to the policy environment we have created, or every time you hear a business expanding in response to the policy environment we have created, that is jobs being created for Guyanese people,” Dr Singh explained.

There are also a number of construction projects ongoing by the government and private sector. Recently, the Ministry of Housing and Water signed contracts totalling $13.9 billion to commence a series of infrastructural projects and the construction of some 290 homes in the first quarter of 2021.

“Every road that is built potentially generates dozens of jobs and $14 billion dollar worth of roads means, literally, hundreds if not thousands of jobs,” Dr Singh said.

The government has also deployed fiscal policy instruments with the aim to promote homeownership, and according to Dr Singh, this will also increase job opportunities in the construction sector.

Additionally, with a number of hotels being constructed and others earmarked for construction this year, hundreds of jobs will also be generated.

The Finance Minister further revealed the recommencement of the construction of ExxonMobil’s Headquarters at Ogle, East Coast Demerara. The US oil giant suspended construction last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Dr Singh also revealed that the government is working with business process outsourcing (BPOs) and call centers to create additional jobs.

Dr Singh recently met with officials from Qualfon Guyana and noted the potential and advantages that Guyana has in this sector.

“There are a lot of things that we are doing, those are just some examples of things we are doing every day to create jobs, this work is ongoing we are not going to stop.”