What we’re offering | How Guyana benefits from closer ties with BVI
While it is clear the BVI would benefit tremendously from stronger ties it is seeking to forge with oil-rich Guyana, Trade Minister Lorna Smith has signalled that Nature’s Little Secret has industries that Guyana could benefit from as well.
Minister Smith said one of the points the BVI delegation highlighted in their meetings with Guyanese officials is the top-tier financial services training the BVI offers through its Robert Mathavious Institute for Financial Services.
“One of the points that we mentioned strongly is the fact that at the HLSCC and the Robert Mathavious Institute, we have one of – if not the strongest – training capability in financial services. It would be possible to have that kind of exchange for young people. They (Guyanese officials) were very keen to hear that there’s the possibility of a training exchange where we could have those people come to the BVI or study financial services virtually,” Smith pointed out.
With the expansion of the Guyanese economy resulting from its newly found oil reserves, Smith said the country is venturing into the tourism space with the construction of seven major hotels. She said this is another area in which the BVI can lend its years of tourism expertise to its CARICOM neighbour.
“In Guyana, seven branded, flagged, very-well-established hotels are being built and they recognized the need for training their people in tourism and hospitality. So there is the opportunity to have Guyanese come and do attachments in the BVI so they could better understand the area of hospitality,” Smith said before adding that the BVI is excited about extending opportunities to Guyana.
There has been much talk about the stronger ties the BVI is looking to forge with Guyana — the second Caribbean country to discover oil and natural gas within its borders. The BVI says it is looking to lift the visa restrictions for Guyanese — a move which Minister Smith said is natural since Guyanese are one of the largest expat groups in the territory.
Other countries of the world have also been visiting Guyana, bearing gifts to entice the resource-rich nation into new trade agreements. In 2015, eleven billion barrels of proven oil reserves were discovered off Guyana’s coast, with a present value of over half a trillion dollars.
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Guyana’s leaders probably laughed when you all left the country. Guyana will profit billions of dollars from their newly discovered oil, they could develop an institute 10 times better than our financial services institute for less than our government spent on Covid grants and other wasteful giveaways to friends and family.
What could the BVI teach Guyana about tourism when our industry is in the slums. Customer service stinks and we have not had any new hotel developments in almost 2 decades. We have prospect reef going to the dogs for 10 years and no one can get it developed. Did you stay at the new Marriott in Guyana. Isn’t it far more beautiful and luxurious than anything we have on Tortola?
If this is what you went to sell Mrs. Smith then your trip was nothing short of a disaster. At least Guyana got something out of the deal. BVI will get nothing! Sad to say.
Is best she had stay home and let us but asphalt to fix the roads and pipes for the water to run through from her ticket money and accommodations. We had nothing sensible to offer Guyana. This is one big nothing
Guyana has a top tier university where many persons go to get their law degrees and other bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in various disciplines and we go down there to offer courses from a community college that could only issue associate degrees. Lorna need to licks. Pure nonsense.
Growth is not closing your economic doors to your neighbors. We are so clueless and close minded in the BVI that we cannot see past our personal prejudice .
That is hindering economic development, progress and growth in our country
Please explain…growth how? Stop the rhetoric, and state facts. Neither you nor she has any, hence all she can talk about is what Guyana will be getting. We still waiting to hear what every BVIslander will reap?? Not just a few!
Oh please. They will come, set up shop and never leave. As usual.
If they do indeed have a legal institution, why the hell are their law students studying in the Bahamas at Eugene Dupuch Law School?
This is crap all that coming out of this is even more Guyanese living in the BVI.
Also they go Trinidad
THe BVI givernment should be doing one thing, seeking mechanisms that will further develop the economy, thus improving salaries and lives of its people, and maybe even pay increments owed, while securing a better existence for future generations.
Hence, oil exploration around the territorial seas shelves should be an active pursuit and endeavor. The Guyana experience and expertise would then be most useful to the BVI in that regard.
Meanwhile, the people are seeing nothing concrete coming out of those overturess with that country so far.
We are lacking imaginative leadership.
Guyana knows very well about financial services. That’s how come some ex presidents have swiss bank account.
Guiana gas struck oil but the peoples of Guiana will continue to be poverty ridden and severely criminalisic wandering pil l ar to post.
They already have natural Blessings including gold but cannot enjoy and survive,
This oil will make little difference. Their character which borders on evil cause their failures.
Bvi has approached then with a concept that is completely alien and impossible to their nature. The concept of “give and take” sharing and gratitude.
And while you at it send all them police, custom and immigration officers to Guyana to get some real physical training. Expecially in the jungles of Guyana
During first meeting with President Ali he asks Lorna “why are you here, is it because of our oil?
He is well aware of how Guyanese have been treated in the BVI.
Lorna carry her opportistic behaviour every where she goes. She left the NDP the day after election to join VIP who she campaigned against just to get power. Now she hear Guyana got oil and will have billions she run go down to try make friend with them. Delila is something else smh