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The Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry is signalling a fundamental shift in how the nation’s banking sector views its place in society. According to reporting from Demerara Waves, GBTI Chairman Suresh Beharry has called on commercial banks to broaden their responsibilities beyond traditional financial services, positioning themselves as partners in sustainable national development.
Beharry’s remarks come as GBTI unveils GBTI CARE, a structured initiative designed to weave environmental, social and governance considerations throughout the bank’s operations. The chairman stressed that financial institutions cannot build lasting value or maintain stakeholder confidence in societies that are not progressing. "We must look beyond our traditional role as providers of financial services and recognise our broader responsibility as partners in national development," Beharry said, according to Demerara Waves.
The timing reflects Guyana’s extraordinary economic transformation. The country has been labelled the world’s fastest-growing economy by revenue, economic activity and population size. Yet Beharry cautioned that impressive growth figures alone do not guarantee inclusive, sustainable development. That requires deliberate investment in people, opportunity creation, stronger communities and environmental stewardship—areas where financial institutions play a crucial role.
GBTI CARE will focus on four pillars: community development, financial literacy advancement, responsible banking practices and environmental preservation. The bank plans to measure impact through concrete outcomes: stronger communities, young people better equipped to manage finances, businesses adopting responsible practices and environmental conservation initiatives. Beharry emphasised that these goals cannot be achieved by the bank acting alone.
The initiative builds on decades of GBTI support for educational, charitable and cultural projects, but with greater structure and accountability. Chief Executive Officer Shawn Gurcharran highlighted the bank’s recent performance: third-quarter 2026 profit after tax increased 44 percent year-over-year, while earnings per share rose 43 percent. Total deposits reached $292 billion, up 13 percent compared to the prior year, underscoring strong customer confidence and the bank’s capacity to serve an increasingly sophisticated customer base.
Guyana has experienced rapid economic growth driven largely by oil and gas development, transforming it into one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. This unprecedented expansion has created both opportunities and pressures for financial institutions to ensure growth translates into broad-based, sustainable development that benefits communities across the nation.
GBTI’s pivot toward environmental and social responsibility reflects broader Caribbean banking sector trends as island and mainland economies grapple with balancing rapid growth with sustainable development. The model may influence how other regional financial institutions approach corporate responsibility and stakeholder engagement in an era of economic transformation.
Sources and attribution
- Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana
- Financial Results for the 3rd Quarter of 2026 – GBTI
- 2026 Guyana Investment Climate Statement
- Guyana: Economic Outlook and Opportunities for New Zealand
- Guyana : Development news, research, data | World Bankwww.worldbank.org › country › guyana
- Digital Strength. Human Trust. – gbtibank.com
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