Courts Guyana Inc yesterday launched a new $65 million optical department at its Main Street store and Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin said the investment is a testament by the company to the economic opportunities in Guyana.
Speaking at the launch at the store, Gaskin said that with its jump into optical wear, the company is adding a new dimension to its business portfolio in Guyana. “I have no doubt that this new line of business will benefit from the company’s effective marketing strategies through which it promotes its brand, which is something Courts does very well,” he said.
He pointed out that in addition to diversifying the range of products and services it offers to the Guyanese public, the company is also demonstrating its confidence in Guyana’s economy by making another substantial investment. “Courts has been operating in Guyana for over two decades and has steadily expanded its operations and the expansion into the optical market shows that they are seeing economic opportunities here, which is good news for Guyana,” he said, while adding that investments in the economy are more than just a demonstration of investor confidence as they also promote job creation and economic growth.
He said one of the most important responsibilities of the government is to decrease the level of unemployment in the country. Most of the employment, he noted, must come from jobs created from private sector investments as the job of the government is not to create jobs but to maintain an environment in which businesses can be profitable and expand and hire more people.
Like job creation, Gaskin added, economic growth relies on private sector investments. He said while there are currently no measures to track unemployment figures and foreign direct investments, which is used to measure the government’s performance in critical areas, more emphasis will be placed on the use of accurate data to inform decision making.
He further said this will also assist in giving the context to investments, such as Courts’ new venture, and a greater appreciation of the impact and importance of the