Minister within the Ministry of Housing, Vanessa Benn, told a French business delegation in Georgetown on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, that Guyana is open for business and ready to welcome investors as partners in one of the world's fastest-growing economies.
Speaking at the opening of the Guyana Exploratory Mission at Duke Lodge, Benn pitched the country's construction boom, housing programme and improving regulatory environment to representatives from mainland France and French territories, according to INews Guyana.
A construction sector growing at record pace
The numbers Benn presented explain the sales pitch. The construction sector grew 24.7 per cent in the first half of 2026 and could exceed 27 per cent by the end of the year, she said.
Behind that expansion sits the government's 2020-2025 housing programme, which allocated more than 53,000 house lots and built roughly 3,000 homes, with priority given to low- and moderate-income families, young people and women.
The distribution figures are striking. People aged 21 to 35 received 54 per cent of allocations, while 46.93 per cent went to women and a further 23.57 per cent were jointly held.
More than 100 new housing areas have been developed since 2020, the Minister added, built around modern planning, better infrastructure and sustainable communities.
Silica City and Canal City: a new urban vision
Benn pointed to Silica City as the model of Guyana's urban ambitions, a development built on smart city principles and climate-resilient design. The incoming Canal City project, developed in collaboration with The King's Foundation, aims to blend modern urban living with nature, heritage and wellness.
On the regulatory side, the Minister highlighted the Ministry's online Single Window System, which she said is cutting delays and improving transparency in planning and building approvals. She also pointed to ongoing work on building codes, planning regulations and inspection procedures to raise standards of safety and durability.
This matters for investors. Efficient permitting and predictable rules do more to attract capital than any speech, and the government appears to have understood that the paperwork is part of the product.
Where the opportunities are
Benn was direct about what French businesses could bring.
“Given the demand for housing, there are opportunities for public-private partnerships and joint ventures. [...] Guyana is fertile ground for banks, financial institutions and fintech innovators,” the Minister said.
John Edghill, Senior Director of Investment at the Guyana Office for Investment, attended the event alongside the French Ambassador to Guyana, His Excellency Olivier Plançon, who invited Benn to address the delegation.
An economy the IMF now calls high-income
The broader macroeconomic picture strengthens the case. According to the IMF's 2026 Article IV report, cited by Benn, Guyana is the only country among the 37 in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative to have reached high-income status.
Public debt stood at roughly 29 per cent of GDP at the end of 2025, among the lowest ratios in the Western Hemisphere, and a joint IMF-World Bank assessment rated the country at low risk of both external and overall debt distress.
Growth is broad-based, not just an oil story. The oil economy expanded 33.3 per cent in the first half of 2026, while the non-oil economy grew 10.1 per cent, the Minister said. That non-oil figure matters most, because it shows the boom is spreading beyond the offshore fields discovered in 2015, which transformed the country's economic prospects, as Encyclopedia Britannica notes.
Low debt and prudent fiscal management are exactly what a small open economy needs if it is to keep foreign capital flowing. The alternative, the overtaxed and overregulated path familiar across the region, is one Guyana has so far avoided.
A bridge to French Guiana
The mission itself carries symbolic weight. It was organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of French Guiana through Team France Export Antilles-Guyane and runs from November 10, 2026.
French Guiana, France's overseas department on the northern coast of South America, borders Suriname to the west and Brazil to the east and south, according to Wikipedia. Its business community sits just across the Maroni River from Guyana, and deeper trade ties between the two neighbours make commercial sense for both sides.
Benn closed with an invitation that went beyond the usual investment rhetoric.
“Our government's door is open. My Ministry's door is open,” she said.
“To all of you here visiting from France and French Guiana, you will not simply be welcomed as investors. You will be welcomed as partners in a national story,” the Minister added.
She reaffirmed that continued investment in housing, infrastructure and economic diversification is positioning Guyana for sustained growth while creating an enabling environment for new business partnerships.
FAQ
What is the Guyana Exploratory Mission?
It is a business mission organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of French Guiana through Team France Export Anticles-Guyane, bringing French company representatives to Guyana from November 10, 2026, to explore opportunities and meet local partners.
How fast is Guyana's construction sector growing?
Minister Vanessa Benn reported 24.7 per cent growth in the first half of 2026, with projections that it could exceed 27 per cent by year-end.
What is Guyana's public debt level?
Public debt stood at approximately 29 per cent of GDP at the end of 2025, according to figures cited from the IMF's 2026 Article IV report.