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As billions continue flowing into Guyana’s booming oil and gas economy, concerns are growing that too many Guyanese businesses are still being left on the sidelines of the country’s biggest economic transformation.
The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry is now publicly warning foreign investors against excluding local companies from supply chains, arguing that Guyanese businesses must not become spectators in an economy being built on their own country’s resources.
In a strongly worded statement, the Chamber said it is increasingly concerned about reports of local businesses being bypassed across multiple sectors, even as international companies continue expanding operations in Guyana.
The warning comes at a critical moment for the country’s oil and gas industry, where rapid expansion has triggered an explosion in demand for logistics, transportation, catering, fabrication, construction, engineering, accommodation, security, and a wide range of support services.
For many small and medium sized Guyanese businesses, the oil boom was expected to create once in a generation opportunities. Instead, some local operators say they continue struggling to access contracts, build partnerships, or break into supply chains increasingly dominated by foreign firms and overseas networks.
The Chamber stressed that local participation cannot be treated as optional while Guyana undergoes one of the fastest economic transformations in the world.
According to the GCCI, the development of Guyana’s natural resources must directly benefit Guyanese people, businesses, and workers, rather than creating an economy where wealth and opportunities are concentrated externally.
“The participation of Guyanese in the extraction and development of the country’s natural resources and opportunities arising from Guyana’s economic development must not be circumvented,” the Chamber stated.
The issue strikes at the heart of a wider national debate surrounding local content and whether Guyana’s oil wealth is truly filtering through to ordinary citizens and local enterprises.
While the country has seen massive foreign investment tied to offshore oil production led by ExxonMobil and its partners, many Guyanese businesses continue voicing concerns about barriers to entry, uneven access to financing, limited technology transfer, and difficulties competing with established international contractors.
The GCCI has long pushed for stronger integration of Guyanese businesses into major projects, arguing that long term economic sustainability depends on building local capacity rather than simply importing services and expertise.
Its latest warning signals growing frustration within sections of the private sector that Guyanese companies may still not be receiving a fair share of opportunities generated by the country’s unprecedented economic boom.
The Chamber is now urging foreign investors to deliberately include local suppliers, workers, and entrepreneurs as they expand operations in Guyana, insisting that development cannot be meaningful if Guyanese businesses remain locked out of the value chain.
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