A GROUP of United States (US)-based sports fishermen, along with corporate sponsors who are partnering with the Unites States Agency for International Development (USAID), has already invested a quarter of a million US dollars to develop the sports fishing industry in Guyana. “This very exciting new development” was spoken of by US Ambassador to Guyana, Brent Hardt, when he delivered the feature address at the 122nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Incorporated at Duke Lodge, Kingston, where the 2011 annual report was presented.
The ambassador observed that sports fishing is a US$125B business in the USA, and it draws high-end tourists who have an appreciation for nature and are willing to go to remote places to catch a rare species of fish.
“They (the group) have just completed an exciting adventure in Rewa (North Rupununi, Region Nine), where they were able to demonstrate that it was possible to catch the arapaima with a fly fishing rod,” he said.
Working with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Amerindian communities, this group will be active in promoting a new, sustainable, eco-friendly tourism niche that will attract high-value customers while still protecting Guyana’s resources.
“They showed a film of their adventure, (which) we hope to air at the upcoming Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC-13) here, and later on local television,” Ambassador Hardt said.
The USAID Guyana Trade and Investment Support Project (GTIS) has been active, since 2004, in opening up new export opportunities for Guyanese goods and services in eco-tourism, non-traditional agriculture, wood products, and aquaculture.
“These programmes have linked small farmers and fish producers with larger producers and exporters to expand export capacity. (They have) increased the quality of tourism services, and introduced a new tourism sector — bird watching — attracting visitors who want to enjoy the amazing diversity of Guyana’s wildlife,” Ambassador Hardt explained.

Financial self-sufficiency
Meanwhile, President of the GCCI, Komal Ramnauth, said he was happy to announce that GCCI had achieved its goal of becoming financially self-sufficient, as was outlined in the Chamber’s five-year strategic plan (2008-2012).
“After a record surplus of $4.7M in 2009, a first for the organisation, the Chamber sustained a steady growth of $5.5M in 2010, and again in 2011, with $5.3M,” Ramnauth disclosed.
He observed that many sectors had recorded positive growth, notably the mining industry, and banking and telecommunications.
“The private sector experienced more positive investments when compared to the previous year. We saw an increase in direct foreign investments in the mining and telecommunications sectors, which impacted positively on the country’s external reserves, pegged at US$779M.”
According to Ramnauth, total revenue collections amounted to $57B. The Private Sector contributed significantly, with $57B in tax revenue collections in the first half of 2011. Internal revenue collections were $26.5B, and corporation taxes amounted to $10.6B. The self-employed income tax collection totalled $1.5B.
Ramnauth noted that one major achievement in 2011 was the formalization of the Citizen’s Security Awareness Programme. In collaboration with the USAID Governance Enhancement Project, the Chamber successfully coordinated a series of Citizens Awareness Campaign Stakeholder Dialogues aimed at bringing together all the major political parties that contested the November 28 elections.
Several other initiatives were undertaken, Ramnauth said, among which was the representation of the business community through the public/ private dialogue body with the Guyana Revenue Authority. As a result of those dialogues, the introduction of the scanner at the Guyana National Shipping Corporation (GNSC) Wharf was realised.
Additionally, the Chamber launched the second edition of its Business Guyana Magazine, and also hosted the second in a series of fire safety and fire prevention workshops.