Manufacturing Opportunities Drive Guyana-Jamaica Dialogue

The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) is encouraging regional industrial collaboration, as GMSA President Rafeek Khan calls for the creation of a glass refinery and other manufacturing ventures through private-sector consortiums. His remarks came during the recent Jamaica Do Business Forum, hosted in Georgetown as part of JAMPRO’s fourth Business Mission to Guyana.

Over 60 Jamaican firms participated in the forum, exploring investment opportunities across sectors. Khan emphasized that Guyana’s abundant silica sand—valued at over US$37 billion—offers a unique opportunity to develop a large-scale glass refinery, an industrial capability currently limited to a few regional players such as Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic.

Citing the high cost of importing glass bottles and Jamaica’s own dependence on imports for beverage packaging, Khan noted the potential for vertically integrated manufacturing partnerships. He highlighted that a refinery, estimated to cost between US$70 million and US$100 million, could be made feasible through a multi-company investment model.

Beyond glass, the GMSA president identified timber and value-added wood products as immediate opportunities for collaboration, with Guyana exporting raw timber and Jamaica relying heavily on imports for its construction sector.

With lower energy costs anticipated from the upcoming Gas-to-Shore project, Guyana is positioning itself as an attractive base for regional manufacturing. JAMPRO’s repeat visits and prior successes in technology and construction materials underscore growing bilateral interest. Strategic partnerships in manufacturing, logistics, and agro-processing are expected to follow, enhancing intra-CARICOM trade and industrial development.

News and Image Source: iNews Guyana