India to source rough directly from Guyana

Ajay Singh, president of the Indo-Global Chamber of Commerce, a leading delegate of Indian manufacturers at the second Festival of India trade show in Guyana, on March 20, 2006 said that he would seek investors for the country�s mining sector. Singh met Commissioner of Geology and Mines Robeson Benn and Director of the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) Geoffrey Da Silva, to explore investment opportunities in the sector.

He said he expected a response from these two entities on the issues discussed in the next three months. In an interview last year, Singh had said that Indian investors would also like to invest in the diamond market, by importing rough diamonds directly from local miners which would bring much better prices to the locals.

There can also be an initiative where Guyanese could be trained to cut and polish diamonds, the chamber president explained. But Singh says that in addition to this, they have now placed gold mining on the agenda.