Heightened interest in Int’l Building Expo 2013 – Ali

By: Michael Younge –

All of the available space for the fourth staging of the International Building Exposition has already been occupied by new and old businesses, as well as exhibitors, even though the event is slated to be staged until next month.
This has forced the Housing and Water Ministry and the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) to resort to make alternative arrangements to accommodate another 20 exhibitors in light of what is being dubbed an “unprecedented wave of interest” in the event compared with previous years.

Housing Minister Irfaan Ali has since confirmed that the Building Exposition Committee is working feverishly to ensure that it identifies other parts of the Guyana National Stadium, which can be utilised to house more exhibitors who are still expressing interest in being part of this year’s event.
“I am heartened by the response from the private sector and several other businesses, both small and large scale that are part of the construction and building sectors,” said Minister Ali. “This unprecedented response, I dare say, is a signal of the confidence that our private sector and corporate partners have in the building exposition, which aims at creating an environment where new products, innovations and initiatives can take centre stage for businesses in the booming construction sector.”
Value added products
Minister Ali said he has advised the team to ensure that it dedicates a significant amount of its energies toward making provisions for new and existing exhibitors that show high levels of promise and interest in bringing value-added products and services to consumers in the construction sector.
The minister is so far satisfied with the pace at which preparations for the Caribbean’s largest construction expo is progressing, explaining that thus far a lot has been accomplished. He is adamant that the building expo is both “special” and “more promising” this year, when compared with previous years, noting that Guyanese will undoubtedly benefit from a wide array of deals and partnerships which could result in positive spill-over effects for entire households.
The minister strongly believes that the exposition this year will feature the creativity of key players in the building and construction sectors as far as making the construction of low-income homes affordable is concerned.
Home ownership
Minister Ali said other offers and deals for new and existing homeowners can only be accessed at the exposition, and he encouraged Guyanese to exploit the benefits of an exposition of this magnitude. He said the team is already hard at work on executing the vision of the construction of the new “Silica City”, which is to be the main feature at Building Expo 4.
Ali said the ministry is involved in futuristic macroeconomic planning, aimed at creating sustainable development, especially where it relates to meeting the growing demand for affordable housing.
Job creation
“The right vision, the will, the commitment of a team, and strong partnerships with the private sector will continue to result in the execution of successful building expos. Our government is humbled by the transformation taking place in our economy and for us, this is our ultimate goal,” Ali concluded.
He said that this year’s international building expo is occurring at a time when expansion was engulfing the construction and building sector, which is responsible for the provision of jobs for thousands of Guyanese and hundreds of youths.
The International Building Expo was officially launched in July 2010 under the presidency of Bharrat Jagdeo, at the Princess International Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara. The first expo was held in August that year at the Guyana National Stadium.
The expo was launched as a direct response to the growing demand in the building and construction sectors. It is a unique partnership involving the Housing and Water Ministry, the CHPA and the private sector.