Above: the signing ceremony in Guyana

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The governments of Guyana and Japan have signed a grant aid agreement.

The $2.9 million non-grant agreement will be made available to the private sector, the government said, through a lending mechanism.

The pact was signed by Guyana Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Japanese Ambassador Yoshimasa Tezuka at the Minister’s office.

In a statement, Rodrigues-Birkett said the assistance was “yet another manifestation of the friendly relations between the two countries.”

Japan has been working on several initiatives in the country, including works in the East Demerara Water Conservancy and the construction of the New Amsterdam hospital, among others.

Tezuka said Japan remained “committed” to the development of the Caribbean region through investment.

Members of the private sector looking to access the new financing can purchase items including civil engineering equipment and electrical power machinery, the government said.