The only thing that some in our society can contribute is spewed venom and these very people never see anything positive happening in this country. One idiotic columnist has even become so ludicrous to describe this government as an elected dictatorship which is worse than the Burnham government. To prove his erroneous, eccentric, nonsensical and venomous contentions he resorts to blatant and shameless lies, distortions and rumours. But he is a lecturer at the highest educational institution in the land which he denounces everyday for shortcomings of all sorts, but fails to see that it is mediocre academics like him who have contributed the greatest to the problems at the institution.

The common denominator among this serpentine group is their avowed hatred for the PPP and the PPP/C government and this guides them in their sickening writings and articulations. As a result they have lost all sense of objectivity and pounce on the slightest negative development and blow it out of proportion, but turn a blind eye and maintain a deafening silence when good and positive things happen. In fact, in some cases they even try to turn the positives into negatives.

Fortunately the vast majority of Guyanese are intelligent, reasonable and knowledgeable and therefore are not fooled by these idiots in our midst. And while these idiots are carrying on with their antics progress in both the public and private sectors continue quietly but surely and consistently.

On this score it is noteworthy that recently two Guyanese companies were hailed and received awards for being role models in their respective business areas further dispelling the “venom spewers” mantra of gloom and doom.

Two Guyanese companies were recently recognised by an international organisation as role models for others in Guyana and the Caribbean to follow.

At a ceremony hosted at Regency Suites, Hadfield Street, Georgetown, Mr. Howard Bulkan, of Bulkan Timber Works Incorporated, accepted the winning prize at the country level, while Wilderness Explorers, which emerged second, was accorded honourable mention by the Pioneers of Prosperity (PoP) programme.

The three entities involved in the PoP are Social Equity Venture (SEVEN) Fund, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which provides funding through its Multilateral Investment Fund and John Templeton Foundation.

Local IDB Representative, Mr. Marco Nicola, observed that the scheme is one which seeks to create greater prosperity, by identifying models for success in small and medium scale enterprises, investing in them and showcasing their stories to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs.

He said another of its main goals is to showcase the talent which exists among local entrepreneurs and other business owners in the Caribbean.

Nicola posited that small and medium enterprises are the backbone of any healthy economy, generating the largest share of innovation, growth and taxes for local economies.

He added, however, that, despite this, such businesses are often ignored for being too large to qualify for micro-finance and too small for bank loans or foreign direct investment.

Nicola said, too, that those companies can provide economic bases for countries in the Caribbean and, therefore, governments and the donor community have a role to play in supporting growth so that the companies can provide the wealth and prosperity that the region needs.

Research indicates that a key constraint to economic growth in the Caribbean is a low level of entrepreneurship or low support, such as technical access to financing and policy environment for entrepreneurs who are trying to start or build their businesses,” he said.

Nicola explained that the PoP award winner is an entrepreneur whose business provides sustained value to its customers, workers, owners and future generations and whose commercial success and entrepreneurial spirit makes him a role model for his peers.

Bulkan Timber Works exemplifies this and the IDB delegate noted that one of its unique strengths is that, although its focus is wood related production, which involves the cutting and exporting of raw material from the rainforest, it has focused on developing a sustainably harvested, value-added export rather than only continuing with this business model.

“BTW takes the logs and saws them into lumber that is air or kiln dried, decreasing warping and significantly adding value to the lumber. BTW then turns the dried lumber into various building products,” he pointed out.

Nicola said another strength of that company is that it pays significantly higher wages than the Government mandated minimum for the timber industry and employees work their way up through an apprenticeship process.

The owners of Wilderness Explorers have invested substantial time and resources in developing long-term environmentally friendly tourism destinations and products, with local partners like lodges, drivers and guides, Nicola said.

They secured recognition for its ability to identify potential, whether it involves nature walking, bird watching or sport fishing, then forming the necessary partnerships to develop the product to an international standard, he said.

Mr Nicola also observed pertinently that BTW also purchases logs from other companies that practice sustainable forestry, following strict government guidelines around the number of trees that can be cut in a certain area, while its sawdust and wood waste are given away daily to numerous chicken farmers living in and around the factory.

Nicola also acknowledged that a sawdust cottage industry has developed in the community, with people reselling the material.

Wilderness Explorers secured recognition for its ability to identify potential, whether it involves nature walking, bird watching or sport fishing, then forming the necessary partnerships to develop the product to an international standard, he said.

According to him, it requires time and a financial commitment to research different geographic areas, identifying the components that could be combined to create a product and then assisting partners in moulding the raw elements into a marketable product.

The owners of Wilderness have invested substantial time and resources in developing long-term environmentally friendly tourism destinations and products, with local partners like lodges, drivers and guides, Nicola said.

He said Wilderness is committed to protection of the environment where it operates, as the pristine nature of it is a key selling feature to their customers.

Head of GO-INVEST, Mr. Geoffrey Da Silva who commended the dynamism of the two companies expressed the hope that the recognition and appreciation being displayed for small and medium scale enterprises within the region, through the PoP, continues in the same vein.

All Guyana should congratulate these companies and feel a deep sense of pride for our local entrepreneurs who are working diligently and with sincere commitment and patriotic zeal to advance our socio-economic development and a better life for the Guyanese people.