By Synieka Thorne
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (DPI) – The highly anticipated International Building Exposition set for July 22 to 24, 2022 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara is gaining momentum with over 200 local and international companies already registering for the event.
The international building expo will be held under the theme “A New Frontier for Building a One Guyana”. Of the prospective participants, 12 are international companies that have completed the registration process and paid in full for their booths.
So far manufacturing, construction and engineering companies, home developers, real-estate and architectural agencies, and financial institutions are on board.
During a press briefing at the venue on Friday, minister of housing and water, Collin Croal said the premier event will see eight model houses on display, three of which will be built by the ministry’s Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA).
One of the highlights of the event will be a home which will be built from 100 percent recycled materials. The unit will be constructed by a Mexican company participating in the event.
“We have already signed an MOU with them. In fact, the demonstration house is arriving on June 22. It has already shipped…we are looking for them in the long – term. They are looking to establish a factory utilising the waste here,” he explained.
Another major highlight will be a tunnel that will show how Guyana is expected to be transformed in the coming years.
Additionally, the CHPA will provide a number of its services at the event including its home construction assistance programme, which allows persons to access financing to construct their home.
Further, thousands of people will benefit from house lot allocations as part of the ministry’s target to deliver 14,000 house lots to Guyanese this year, minister Croal announced.
Meanwhile, minister within the ministry, Susan Rodrigues, said Building Expo promises to be ‘bigger and better.”
Among the major attractions is the introduction of a 3D printer for house plans, so people could get miniature models of their houses before they are built.
“The aim is to go beyond the phenomenal work that we have been doing at the ministry of housing and water. This expo will put on display and give you a blueprint, a map out of Guyana’s architectural future,’ the minister said.
Some of the local sponsors including Republic Bank, GBTI, Courts and E-Networks provided an insight of some of what they will be offering during the event.
The first-ever International Building Exposition was held in 2010 under the stewardship His Excellency Dr Mohammed Irfaan Ali, who served as minister of housing and water during that period.
It brought together prospective homeowners and entities from the construction, manufacturing and services sectors and attracted international exhibitors from Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, USA and Canada among others.