Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service Dr. Ashni Singh, has concluded a four-day visit to the United States where he engaged in high-level discussions aimed at strengthening economic and bilateral ties between Guyana and the U.S. The visit, marked by a series of meetings with key officials, emphasized the deepening of partnerships across areas such as economic growth, trade, and development.
Dr. Singh, was accompanied by Guyana’s Ambassador to the U.S., Samuel Hinds, and met with U.S. Department of Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary Michael Kaplan in Washington, D.C, among other high level engagements. Dr. Singh used the occassion to update Kaplan on Guyana’s recent economic strides and explored collaborative opportunities, reaffirming Guyana’s commitment to maintaining a stable macroeconomic environment conducive to U.S. business interests.
Additionally, Dr. Singh held talks with Isobel Coleman, Deputy Administrator for Policy and Programming at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He highlighted Guyana’s impressive 49.7% overall economic growth in the first half of 2024, including a 12.6% increase in non-oil sectors.
The discussions focused on ensuring that economic growth translates into broad benefits for all Guyanese citizens, while identifying further areas for U.S.-Guyana collaboration.In a separate meeting, the Senior Minister conferred with Daniel Watson, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Western Hemisphere, to discuss enhancing trade and investment between the two nations.
Dr. Singh reiterated that the U.S. remains one of Guyana’s most important trading partners and emphasized the government’s commitment to fostering a favorable business climate for U.S. companies operating in Guyana.Key discussions also took place with the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of the U.S., where Dr. Singh met with Senior Advisor Larry T. Decker and other officials.
These talks centered on the bank’s ongoing support for Guyana’s gas-to-energy project, a major initiative aimed at reducing electricity costs and increasing competitiveness across industries. The project is also expected to decrease the country’s reliance on fossil fuels. Dr. Singh expressed gratitude for EXIM Bank’s partnership and reaffirmed the government’s appreciation for the bank’s continued support in Guyana’s transformational projects.
The visit concluded with a meeting between Dr. Singh and Sergio Díaz-Granados, Executive President of the CAF (Corporación Andina de Fomento Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean), where discussions focused on CAF’s potential role in financing Guyana’s ongoing infrastructure expansion and economic diversification efforts, as the country undergoes significant development.
