US Investment Bank–Osher International IDG Bank and Trust–headed by Mr. Marlon Campbell, along with some of its partners that include members of a Delegation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently completed a business scoping exercise in Guyana. The company’s goal is a view to investing in excess of US$100M in Guyana in the coming years.
The team in addition to Mr. Campbell, included Mr. Khalid Ahmed Moosa (UAE Asset Security President), Mrs. Kwala Khamis Ali Abdulrahman Alblooshi (Senior Counsel in United Arab Emirates), Mr. Medhat Makram Doss (Managing Partner of Diversified Investments Eqypt) and Mr. Issam Marocaine (Investment Manager) of the Kingdom of Morocco.
According to Mr. Campbell, he has been interested in investing for about three years and had been exploring various opportunities, including in the emerging markets such as Guyana.
He noted that the team at present, was specifically looking to finalize plans and proposals, as soon as possible to invest in Infrastructure, Mining, Pharmaceuticals and Dairy products among other sectors. This includes the large scale supply of stone aggregates in different sizes.
The company has already effected an agreement in Guyana to erect a wharf/shipping/storage facility to ensure control over the logistics supply. This agreement also entails the purchase of 12 shipping barges (9,000 and 7,000 tons capacity) to ensure this control over the entire logistics chain with a view to not have a result of long delays, should hiccups arrive.
The company has also signed an agreement for 12 million tons of aggregate stone with the first shipment arriving shortly.
During the course of Mr. Campbell and the team’s visit to Guyana, they held meetings with a number of local businesses leaders and members of the government, including Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) along with representatives of the Office of the President.
He disclosed that cognizant of the legal formalities that would have to be completed ahead of any sanctioned project, the partners would immediately set about construction of the abovementioned and more in future.
Mr. Campbell stated that these are things in immediate demand given the trajectory of the country, especially with its nascent oil industry.
Osher International IDG Bank and Trust, he explained, has a holding division with oversight of a number of partners and “we as a group decide where we want to invest…where things are lucrative, obviously we are a business but we are looking to invest where communities can benefit the most.”
According to Mr. Campbell, the current trajectory of the country has obviously helped in its decision at this time to vigorously pursue investments in Guyana but also reiterated “my initial interest is bigger than that, for example mining, the oil was an icing on the cake.”
