United States Ambassador, Roland Bullen said yesterday that attracting foreign investors to Guyana would require a pro-active approach, even though the country’s low wages and stable macro-economic climate auger well for investment.

He said most Americans and American companies knew very little about Guyana. “Even though Guyana has a lot to offer, the US firms won’t come looking for you. You have to go looking for them.”

But he added that inadequate transportation, high taxes and the lack of a deep water port were setbacks.

The diplomat spoke at a seminar titled ‘Opportunities for investment in and exports from Guyana’ held at the Tower Hotel on Main Street.

The Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) and the Guyana Manufacturers’ Association (GMA) organised the forum which was part of the programme of events to mark the Caribbean Week of Agriculture.

Bullen said that the Economic and Commercial Section of the US Embassy was set up to facilitate contact with US importers and that persons could also obtain information on trade shows and exhibitions in the US from this section.

The Guyana Economic Opportunities Project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was working to facilitate exports of value-added products, he said.

Head of Go-Invest, Geoffrey Da Silva said that with the help of USAID, garment manufacturers in Guyana are to participate in the fabric trade show ‘Material World’, to be held in the US later this year.

Acting Minister of Agriculture Satyadeow Sawh said Guyanese farmers needed to use modern technology. “We are blessed with the land, the water and the climate and we are now putting the [necessary] infrastructure in place. We have to stay on top to remain competitive,” he said.

Guyana was so self-sufficient in poultry that exporting to the Caribbean was now being considered, Sawh declared.