Guyana wants Venezuela oil-for-rice deal to include sugar, flour

May 25, 2014 News

Guyana has signaled its intentions to increase its barter arrangements with neighbouring Venezuela.

Ambassador
Geoffrey da Silva

According to Venezuela’s online El Carabobeño news yesterday, Guyana’s Ambassador, Geoffrey Da Silva, indicated that there is interest in using barter as a tool to streamline the process of importing and exporting food and canned goods between the two neighbouring countries.
Da Silva made the approach during a meeting held with officials from the offices of the Mayor of Ciudad Guayana, Bolívar State. The Ambassador is leading a delegation of officials and businessmen from Guyana on a four-day visit.
The Ambassador pointed to the multi-million-dollar deal that the neighbouring countries have with the oil-for-rice agreement. The intention was to expand to other products, he said.
In the specific case of Ciudad Guayana, da Silva said his government explore with the Venezuelan authorities the possibilities of supplying wheat flour, milk and sugar, in exchange for canned goods and other products.
Guyana is also looking to expand the number of flights currently provided by the Venezuelan Consortium Aircraft Industries and Air Service (Conviasa) between the “Manuel Carlos Piar” Guayana City International Airport and the Timehri airport in Guyana.
“If we expand flights in this route we can establish more lines of economic connection give support to tourism and move forward in our development,” he said. It was also pointed out that Venezuela has an attractive source of tourists for Guyana.
For more than five years now, Guyana has been taking oil at concessional rate and sending rice to Venezuela.
The deal has been seen as a valuable one for Guyana especially as it secures a market for rice whose production has been on the increase in recent years.