THE Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), last Friday evening, put out Guyana Business 2010, the first magazine of its kind intended as an investor’s guide.
GCCI President, Mr. Komal Ramnauth, said its publication is reflective of the organisation’s aim to be a strong advocate for the business sector, with a focus on promoting this country as a business destination.
“The Chamber believes that Guyana has a lot of untapped potential, as it relates to investment and we believe that it is part of our mandate to sensitise the public on the various opportunities they can explore,” he said.
The occasion was a business dinner GCCI hosted at Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown, attended by stakeholders across the local commercial community.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds was also present and Ramnauth presented him with a copy of the book, which is to be made available to interested persons free of cost.
Ramnauth said: “Occasions such as this create a positive environment for Government officials, members of the Diplomatic Corps and the private and public sectors to engage a network.”
He reminded that GCCI is committed to supporting businesses and said testimony of this is the publishing of Guyana Business 2010, as well as the recent upgrading of the website, www.gccigy.org.
Ramnauth said GCCI is well positioned and advancing in the right direction with renewed focus.
“Over the next year, the Chamber aims to undertake several initiatives geared at meeting the needs of the business sector, some already on stream,” he said.
But Ramnauth said such efforts cannot be made in isolation and solidarity with sister organisations and the business community will advance the fulfillment of the GCCI mandate.
“The aim is to have one voice and vision for the business sector,” he indicated.
Produced after 12 months of preparation, the magazine was published by GCCI, in collaboration with Advertising and Marketing Services (AMS).
Managing Director, Mr. Lokesh Sing, is the editor and AMS is also involved with the production of another magazine, ‘Explore Guyana’.
“If investors are going to come to invest in this country, then we need to have the information readily available for them. Today, we speak of the Internet and having things on a website but the printed pages still hold firm in the business world,” Singh remarked.

BRAINCHILD

GCCI Council member, Mrs. Jennifer Cipriani-Nelson, who also spoke at the function, informed that Guyana Business 2010 is the brainchild of Mr. Clinton Urling, Head of the Trade and Investment Committee.
“He recognised the need for an informative publication to help sell Guyana as a hot target for investment,” she said.
Cipriani-Nelson added that the compendium promotes Guyana as a land of vast opportunities and complements Government actions to attract investment.
It offers readers insight into the local operations based on the perspective of figureheads in the business community, including Mr. Ramesh Dookhoo, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC); Mr. Chris Fernandes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of John Fernandes Limited and Chief Executive Office of Guyana Office for Investment (GO-INVEST), Mr. Geoffery Da Silva.
The last addressed the issue of ‘Finding the investment opportunities in Guyana’ and said there are four key words that should be kept  in the forefront of one’s mind when considering this country’s development – open, competitive, diversified and sustainable.
“These words highlight the economic strategy of Guyana in partnership with Private Sector and international donor agencies,” Da Silva said.
Guyana Business 2010 contains a comprehensive review of 2009 and other contents touched on topical issues, among them ‘Liability to Tax’, ‘Social Security’, ‘Currency Exchange’, ‘Banking and Finance’, ‘Getting to Energy Independence’ and ‘Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy’.
Facts about different aspects of life in Guyana and a historical overview of aspects of the economy are in the new compilation, too.
Featured speaker of the evening was Senior Economist at the National Competitiveness Strategy Unit (NCSU), Mr. Jonathan Said, who facilitated discussions on the approach.