At least 300 new jobs for Region Three will be advertised within days by various companies, including Vreed en Hoop Shore Base Inc. and the gas-to-energy project.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali made the revelation at the gas-to-energy project job fair at the Leonora Track and Field Facility in Region Three, on Thursday. The fair, which attracted hundreds of applicants countrywide, was hosted by the government, in collaboration with Lindsayca Oil & Gas Integrated Solutions Group.
Addressing participants at the event, the president stated that vacancies will be uploaded to the national employment portal, with several companies already seeking workers to begin immediately, signalling that the benefits of the gas-to-energy project are no longer distant promises but present realities.
“This is not five years from now. This is immediate,” President Ali said.
The head of state disclosed that the Vreen en Hoop Shore Base Facility alone has already provided direct and indirect employment to more than 425 persons.
He said a company needs 120 workers now, and the Wales sugar refinery will need about 100 employees, turning old infrastructure into useful assets.
“This is the difference between vision and recklessness, between transformation and decay,” the president said.
He said the Wales development, anchored by the gas-to-energy project, will generate up to 1,000 jobs during construction, with at least 1,500 permanent jobs projected across the wider industrial ecosystem, including the gas plant, fertiliser plant, land development and shore base infrastructure.
President Ali further revealed that investors at the Vreed en Hoop Shore Base indicated they will require 150 workers within six weeks, while GAICO Construction has an immediate need for 120 persons.
The Parika port development is also expected to employ hundreds.
The president commended the ministers responsible for finance and labour for ensuring that the job fair translated into tangible outcomes.
He highlighted that when demand surged for heavy-duty operators who lacked certification, employers agreed to hire them, with the government committing to fund their certification.
“That is leadership. That is the speed of decision-making we want,” President Ali stated.
President Ali said the cabinet’s sustained engagement in Region Three reflects the government’s governing philosophy, one rooted in daily service rather than election cycles.
“This is not transactional politics. This is purposeful work every single day of the year,” he said, noting that ministers remain embedded in communities to ensure policies are shaped by lived realities.
Urging participants to view the opportunities as more than employment, the president said the gas-to-energy project is about strengthening families, expanding community wealth and advancing national development.
He also outlined upcoming investment opportunities in fertiliser production, gas bottling and logistics, glass manufacturing, data centres and industrial ventures, all of which will include opportunities for local investors.