SYMBOL OF NATIONAL PRIDE; ‘I Love Guyana’ $5M sign commissioned
The ‘I LOVE GUYANA’ sign which sits on the lawns of GBTI’s head office in Kingston, Georgtown, Guyana
A number of changes have been taking place in Guyana over the last few months which seems to be directly linked at targeting Guyanese and numerous visitors and investors alike to this country as the country prepares for an economic boom powered by oil discoveries.
On Wednesday morning Impressions Inc, Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry and the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana unveiled an ‘I LOVE GUYANA’ signage in Kingstson. The general area stretching from the Guyana Marriott Hotel to the Kitty Seawall has been designated the ‘I love Guyana Tourism Park’
Some of the special invitees sit on the base of the sign following it’s offical unveiling
At a simple ceremony Wednesday morning, Marketing Manager of Impressions; Debbie Persaud, told a gathering that her company’s involvement in the project is a direct indication of it’s position of fostering patriotism and love for Guyana through the dedication of the signage.
The sign which measures 12 by 34 feet was sponsored by the compnay at a cost of some five million Guyana Dollars. Persaud stressed that there will be other beautification strategies erected, all aimed at promoting Guyana.
Impressions Marking Manager Debbie Persaud addresses the gathering
President of the Tourism Hospitality Association of Guyana; Mitra Ramkumar, pointed out that the home of the sign was erected strategically at its present location. He stressed that the area would be used as a gathering point as well as culmination point for city tours and tours to other parts of Guyana including hinterland locations.
Mitra also stated that the presence of the Marriott, expanding Pegasus, Duke Lodge, Foreign Embassies and High Commissions as well as the Marine Turtle Monument depicting the leatherback Turtle emerging from it’s shell and the Umana Yana all makes it an ideal location to launch and culminate tours and serves as the perfect place for the ‘I Love Guyana’ signage.
GBTI’s Director Suresh Beharry
Suresh Beharry, Director of the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry in front of whose facility the sign was erected also addressed the gathering. GBTI would be sponsoring the maintenance for the general area surrounding the sign at a cost of 1.5 million Guyana dollars annually.
Beharry also used the opportunity to call on Guyanese to fix their country which he described as fractured, pointing out that a house divided can go nowhere and will never prosper. Suresh Beharry opined that the sign and it’s ability to bring Guyanese together in one place could be a start in that direction of fixing the nation’s ills.
Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine has called on the private sector to continue working with the council on beautifying the city as the GTM&CC cannot do it alone. The mayor expressed gratitude to the private sector and all other agencies who made the sign’s erection a possibility.
Delivering the final remarks was Minister of Tourism Haimraj Rajkumar who lauded the concept of the sign as an excellent initiative. The minister mentioned that he sees these types of partnerships as indicative to moving Guyana forward both on the front of public private partnership collectively as One People One Destiney.
