Georgetown: The Guyana International Convention Centre (GICC), Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara is to be renamed after Guyana’s first President, the late Arthur Chung. This was announced Wednesday morning by President David Granger while he addressed permanent secretaries and other senior public servants at the facility. Chung served as a ceremonial President between 1970 and 1980.
According to the president, “The first executive president of Guyana needs to be remembered”.
The late President Arthur Chung (January 10, 1918 – June 23, 2008) was born at Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara, Guyana. He was educated at Windsor Forest, Blankenburg, and Modern High School. Before civic service, Chung was an apprentice surveyor and sworn land surveyor. In the early 1940s, Chung entered the Middle Temple of London, England and qualified as a barrister in 1947.He returned to Guyana and was later appointed an acting magistrate. In 1954, he became a magistrate and in 1960, a senior magistrate. He also served as Registrar of Deeds and of the Supreme Court. He then became a Puisne Judge and finally an Appeal Court Judge in 1963.
When Guyana became a republic under the leadership of Forbes Burnham in 1970, the National Assembly elected Chung as the country's first President of Guyana. He held the position of President from March 17, 1970 to October 06, 1980 when a constitutional revision transformed the presidency into an executive position, and Burnham succeeded Chung as President.
Arthur Chung was married in 1954 to Ms. Doreen Pamela Ng-See-Quan, with whom he had one daughter and one son. He was laid to rest at the Place of Heroes, Seven Ponds in the Botanical Gardens.
The People’s Republic of China on February 16, 2006 delivered the multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) to the Government and people of Guyana, bringing a landmark to the country. It also brought Guyana into the modern orbit where conference centers are concerned, by creating a hub that would allow Guyana to become a fine destination for the hosting of international conferences and meetings.
The project was requested by the Government of Guyana in September 2002 and in January 2003, Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, H.E. Ma Xiuhong and then Minister Clement Rohee signed the 'Exchange of Notes’ on the construction of the project in Guyana, during the State visit of State Counsellor of China, Madame Wu Yi.
The GlCC, which was funded by a grant provided by the Government of the People's Republic of China, was constructed at a cost of approximately US$ 8M. It has a main conference hall with a seating capacity of 372, five smaller conference rooms, a business centre and a restaurant.
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