GUYANA’S Ambassador to Cuba, Halim Majeed, will be among the speakers at the Guyanese-American Chamber of Commerce Inc. (GACC) Inaugural Awards Gala to be held on December 10 in South Florida.
Ambassador Majeed will make a presentation on the business opportunities open to Guyanese-American-owned enterprises as a result of the re-establishment of diplomatic ties between the United States and Cuba and the movement towards full normalisation of relations between the two countries after a break of more than 50 years.

According to a release by organisers, the awards gala, to be held at the Bonaventure Resort and Spa in Weston, Florida, will serve not only as a holiday event for networking, but as one that will provide for attendees to be informed and educated about key issues affecting trade and other aspects of business within the U.S. and between the U.S. and the CARICOM region.
“There has been significant interest on the part of Guyanese-owned businesses in the U.S. to tap into the trade and investment opportunities in Cuba, especially since December 2014 when the two countries announced the re-establishment of diplomatic relations. Some of these Guyanese-American entrepreneurs have also been looking at teaming up with business enterprises in Guyana to take advantage of the opportunities, particularly in light of the longstanding good relations that have existed over the years between Guyana and Cuba,” says president of the chamber, Wesley Kirton.

“So this is an opportunity for Guyanese-American entrepreneurs and even our CARICOM-American brothers and sisters to be informed about doing business with and in Cuba. This is the kind of facilitation that makes our Chamber relevant,” Kirton said.
The keynote address at the event will be delivered by Vice-President of the Washington, DC based Caribbean Central American Action (CCAA) Jennifer Nugent-Hill, who is also Government Affairs Director, Tropical Shipping, the ocean carrier giant that counts Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean among its major destinations.

“Our keynote speaker has had a long history of advocacy for policies that positively impact the Caribbean region and is a well-respected champion of the Caribbean cause in Washington, DC and further [sic] afield. With legislation currently before the U.S. Congress on enhancing U.S./Caribbean relations, including relations with Diaspora communities, it is imperative that we Guyanese and Guyanese-Americans be part of the strategic planning for implementation of this legislation when it passes, and Ms. Nugent-Hill is a key player whose input in this process we must garner,” Kirton said.

Three Guyanese-owned companies will be honoured at the event. The honorees have been picked by a special committee set up for this purpose and will be announced next Saturday. Among the sponsors of the event are Tropical Shipping, A & S Storage and Logistics of Georgia, Hawkland Surveying of Texas, Joy Agness Events Planning and The Highland Agency of Florida and the Roraima Group of Companies of Guyana.