Region 10 entrepreneurs are being urged to position their businesses to benefit from increased truck traffic expected to follow major infrastructure developments, rather than allowing motorists and commercial operators to pass through Linden while spending their money elsewhere.

The advice came from Head of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) and Member of Parliament Peter Ramsaroop, during an investment and export engagement held at the Watooka Complex in Linden on Wednesday.

The event was hosted in collaboration with the Linden Chamber of Commerce and the Region 10 Tourism Committee, as part of efforts to connect local businesses with investment opportunities, financing and technical support.

Ramsaroop said improved connectivity, including the new Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge and planned road links to Lethem and other areas, will create new opportunities for businesses capable of providing services to truckers and other travellers.

"When you think of the roads to Lethem and you think of thousands of trucks at some point crossing through Linden... What does that mean for me? Am I in the restaurant business? Am I in the agriculture business? You know the President is pushing agriculture. Am I growing more things that those truckers will want to eat? They want to buy?" he said.

He suggested opportunities could include truck-washing facilities, mechanics, food businesses, accommodation and other support services.

"What is it that we can do in Region 10 that those mini buses and trucks have to buy supplies in the mining community? We've got to figure it out right here," he stressed.

Ramsaroop also highlighted what he described as significant investment incentives available to Region 10, particularly in tourism and agriculture.

He said investors establishing hotels could benefit from tax concessions on construction materials and equipment, creating an opportunity for entrepreneurs to expand the region's accommodation capacity.

With increased sporting events, the development of the stadium and growth in the "orange economy," including film and the arts, he said businesses could also benefit from increased demand for accommodation, catering, transportation and entertainment services.

Ramsaroop encouraged entrepreneurs to pursue manufacturing and agro-processing, noting that Guyana could retain more economic value by processing its raw materials locally rather than exporting them.

He also urged businesses to collaborate and develop local supply chains.

"If we don't figure it out quickly to work together, somebody else is going to come in and figure it out for us," Ramsaroop warned entrepreneurs.