Guyana’s next wave of major wealth creation could come from agriculture and construction, according to Private Sector Commission (PSC) Chairman Captain Gerry Gouveia Jr., who says the country’s rapid economic transformation is opening major opportunities outside the oil and gas sector.
Gouveia said agriculture may be Guyana’s biggest untapped opportunity, pointing to the country’s land availability, food-production potential and regional market access.
“I think the next billionaires in Guyana [are] going to be construction and agriculture,” Gouveia said.
He said agriculture represents one of the strongest wealth-generation opportunities for the current generation, particularly as Guyana seeks to feed itself and serve regional markets.
Gouveia said Guyana has historically been strong in agriculture, particularly rice and sugar, but is now reinvesting oil and gas revenues into infrastructure that can support higher-yield crops, non-traditional agriculture and agro-processing.
He said the focus is not only on growing crops, but also on making Guyanese products export-ready and ensuring sanitary and phytosanitary systems are internationally accepted.
Construction is also expected to remain a major driver as Guyana continues to build roads, housing, commercial facilities, industrial zones and logistics infrastructure needed to support a fast-growing economy.
Gouveia said infrastructure is critical to moving goods from farms to markets and then into export channels. He pushed back against criticism of road investments, saying logistics infrastructure is essential for farmers, producers and exporters.
He said Guyana’s business climate is “hot” and urged businesses to move quickly, do their research and take advantage of the opportunities now emerging.
