Linden, Rupununi chambers agree wide-ranging cooperation pact
THE business organisations in Regions Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) and Ten (Upper Demerara/Berbice) have agreed to stimulate cooperation and network between their gateways at Linden and Lethem.
Between the two places is a commercial corridor along which they will undertake joint activities to promote a hub for inter-regional trade between Brazil and the Caribbean. The agreement was arrived at during a meeting of  members of the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) and Linden Chamber of Industry, Commerce  and Development (LCICD) at Kurupukari, Upper Essequibo, in Region 10 last weekend.

Kurupukari was chosen because it is the halfway point between Linden and Lethem, they said.

RCCI President, Mr. Alfred Ramsarran said the location was also significant because it was once part of the Rupununi Cattle Trail, from Lethem, to Georgetown in the early 1900s.

He said: “It is indeed symbolic of the historic and ongoing desires of the residents of  Rupununi to find markets for their goods and produce on the coastal belt.”

The arrangement was struck following two days of discussions, the first ever such interaction between the two chambers and Ramsarran said it is a statement of mutual commercial cooperation and development by them.

Called the ‘Kurupukari Declaration’, it was approved by the participants and signed  by Ramsarran and LCICD President, Mr. Marvin Burns on behalf of their respective membership in the presence of other participants.

Burns confirmed it was an historic collaborative move by the two sides to make full use of all the opportunities to be derived from the Linden-Lethem roadway and the link with Brazil.
In their talks, the two chambers looked at six areas of concern, infrastructure, commerce, tourism, agriculture, environment and services, before arriving at mutual positions on each.

CONTINUOUS INTEREST
With respect to infrastructure, the RCCI members said an improved Linden-Lethem road is of continuous interest, as that would reduce costs associated with time, loss of perishables and heavy wear and tear of vehicles transporting goods from Georgetown.

The chambers are to draft a proposal to Government for an enhanced maintenance programme for the route, which must include their access to increased funding, as well.
In the area of  commerce, they observed that the flow of goods from Guyana to Brazil is, presently, limited to the flour from the National Milling Company (NAMILCO).

“Due to phytosanitary and other requirements, our members have not been able to get our products into Brazil,” Ramsarran lamented, adding that they decided to engage agencies in Brazil on issues affecting bilateral trade and to provide support available to each other.

Those concerns will be aired at an upcoming seminar to be held in Brazil, by SEBRAE, the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service, to which they have been invited.

About tourism, the chambers will organise inter-regional tours, plan their annual calendars so that there are no conflicts in the dates of their respective activities and arrange more interactions such as at Kurupukari.

The decision on environment would lead to the organisation of a Public/Private Sector engagements necessary to encourage safer and healthy surroundings in both Administrative Regions, including proper disposal of plastic and solid waste.

Concerning agriculture, they agreed to form Private Sector marketing agencies to encourage competitive pricing and quality through a more professional and commercial approach to agricultural production and marketing, similar to the concept of the ‘Futures Commodities Markets’.

The way forward on services will be to continuously seek information from stakeholders on plans for improvements.

The declaration said it has been recognised that there is a need for both RCCI and LCICD to explore mutual commercial concerns and opportunities and collaborate in efforts to foster growth and development in their respective regions.

It added that members recognise there can be more strength in advocating and lobbying for common causes through shared efforts.

The Kurupukari conference closed with a church service at Fairview Village, part of the Iwokrama Reserve, on the opposite bank of Essequibo River, last Sunday.