Guyana Americas Merchant Bank, Inc., known as GuyAm Bank, was incorporated as a limited liability company under Guyana Finance Corporation. The corporation was set up on May 22, 1995, adhering to chapter 89:01 of the Companies Act. In 1998, by special resolution, Guyana Finance Corporation took on its current name.
On February 22, 1999, the Bank of Guyana issued a letter approving GuyAm Bank’s application to obtain a license to engage in non-depository financial transactions without the approval to carry out trust business. This license was granted under certain conditions, including that the bank will not collect any deposits and that GuyAm Bank will operate solely as an investment bank.
Later in 2000, a Subscription and Shareholders Agreement outlined GuyAm Bank’s capitalization and ownership structure. According to the agreement, GuyAm Bank can conduct business with eligible companies in securities trading, developing and offering risk management products, underwriting securities, funding projects, and offering investment advice.
The agreement defines an eligible company as “a private company authorized to do business in Guyana or any other eligible country and which is primarily engaged in productive activities excluding speculative real estate development, gambling, production or manufacture of tobacco products, alcoholic beverages except beer and wine, arms or ammunition.”
GuyAm Bank is a subsidiary of the Secure International Finance Corporation and the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry. The bank offers various services, including investment management, brokerage services, and investment banking, to both institutional and individual clients at home and abroad. It supports all the investment needs and objectives of its clients through trade execution, high-quality market research, and investor support services. The bank also acts as an investment advisory to pension funds and mutual funds, among other types of funds.
In offering investment banking services, Guyana Americas Merchant Bank supports its clients’ needs by raising funds on capital markets in Guyana and internationally. The organization undertakes all stages of project financing transactions and provides advice on syndicated loans, equity issuance, and fixed income.
GuyAm handles its clients’ brokerage needs by providing access to various stock exchanges, ranging from local and regional to international. The organization makes sure that its clients within and outside Guyana are afforded the chance to invest in local and global securities, providing more opportunities to make money off the stock exchange market.
To invest with the bank, potential clients must first open an account by filling out and submitting a new account form, available on its website, www.gbtibank.com. It is important to include the required supporting information. GuyAm Bank provides two forms to choose from, one for individual investors and another for corporate investors. The supporting information required is explained in detail in both forms.
As the investment advisor to Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry’s mutual fund portfolio, Guyana Bank of Americas also provides a channel for investors to create a BGTI mutual fund Account. One first has to open an account by submitting a form provided on GuyAm’s website. Just as with opening an ordinary GuyAm account, individuals and companies have two different forms.
All investors must read the prospectus of the fund they intend to invest in. Net asset values, fund performance metrics, and the GBTI Mutual Fund Prospectus are available on the GBTI website. Potential investors can also visit the GBTI Corporate Center at High and Young Streets, Kingston, Georgetown, Guyana.
