– in face of dire financial constraints
UNITED States Ambassador to Guyana, Mr. D. Brent Hardt, has taken note of and lauded the continued admirable performance of the Guyana Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBCHA),  following the removal of its main source of funding – the President’s Emergency Programme For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) as of March this year. Having met the emergency response to Guyana’s HIV/AIDS epidemic by providing nearly US$175 million in assistance to this country under PEPFAR over the past decade, the United States Government is now in a phase of transitioning to a sustainable technical assistance model, while reducing the number of partners it supports, Ambassador Hardt said.  This move has seen the GBCHA, one of the former beneficiaries of funding under the programme, being affected.
But, in the face of this transition, the GBCHA has weathered the storm, and has not buckled,  leading the US Ambassador to remark, “It is truly reassuring to see that, despite [PEPFAR] not being able to support the Business Coalition since March 2012,  the private sector did not  disappoint, and has continued to leverage resources to sustain its prevention programmes.”
Ambassador Hardt made these remarks as he addressed the GBCHA’s Awards for Business Excellence Ceremony, held at the Herdmanston Lodge in Queenstown on Friday last. To its credit, he observed, the Coalition boasts of testing the highest number of clients of any counselling and testing site in Guyana, with over 2,500 persons tested annually.  It continues to implement the workplace programme, and provide technical assistance on policy development.
Additionally, the US envoy noted that, beyond workplace initiatives and leveraging resources to sustain prevention programmes, the GBCHA has also leveraged for the National Blood Bank, and community-based organizations’ care and support activities.
Ambassador Hardt, who also had kudos for the Coalition which, in May of this year, celebrated its fourth anniversary, highlighted the ongoing and sustained involvement of the private sector in the response to HIV/AIDS.  Congratulating the GBCHA, he deemed this vivid testimony to the commitment of corporate leaders, and to the progress made by the local and international programmes over the years.
Ambassador Hardt said, “I believe this example has paved the way for more sustained, country-owned programmes in the months and years ahead.  He commended the board of directors and the staff of the GBCHA for recognizing that optimal use can be made of resources available from different donors to create an integrated and comprehensive approach that truly serves the Guyanese community.
On the Awards for Business Excellence, the Ambassador, on behalf of the Untied States Government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), expressed pleasure at being part of the important forum in support of the Guyana HIV/AIDS response.
“Tonight, as the United States Government joins the Guyana Business Coalition and the National AIDS Programme to once again recognize its members who have demonstrated a strong and continuing commitment to their employers’ and communities’ health and wellbeing, we are proud to have provided an impetus for the foundation of the Business Coalition,” he said. And in celebrating the strength of the coalition members, the US envoy said the US Government looks forward to their leadership going forward, to ensure a better and brighter future for all Guyanese.
The United States Government, working in partnership with the Government of Guyana and the private sector, has made important strides in the fight against HIV and AIDS, together improving the lives of thousands of Guyanese living with, affected by, or vulnerable to, HIV, the Ambassador concluded.
The private sector’s engagement in the HIV/AIDS initiative, commenced under the USAID/Guyana HIV/AIDS Reduction and Prevention Programme (GHARP I).  Together with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and local NGOs, the programme has worked to build the capacity of local point persons within their workforces to conduct HIV awareness sessions.
USAID/GHARP supported the formation of the Private Sector Advisory Board (2006-2008), which later became the Guyana Business Coalition in May, 2008.  The GBCHA now has a robust 47-member body operating across a variety of sectors, including: agro-processing, construction, mining and logging, hospitality, tourism and media.

Awardees for the 2012 Awards for Business Excellence were as follows:
•    DENMOR Garment Manufacturers
Winner  – Workplace Programme

•    Guyana National Shipping Corporation Ltd
Honourable Mention (Workplace Programme)

•    Edward B. Beharry & Co. Ltd –
Winner – Outstanding Performance by a Peer Educator – Rohini
Ramkumar

•    Edward B. Beharry
Winner – Core Competency

•    Guyana Revenue Authority
Winner – Individual Leadership – Janet Abbensetts

•    National Milling Company of Guyana
Core Competency – Honourable Mention

•    Scotiabank Guyana
Winner – Community Investment

•    Guyana Lottery Company Ltd.
Community Investment – Honourable Mention

Among the distinguished gathering joining the GBCHA in celebration of the occasion were: Minister of Health, Hon. Bheri Ramsaran; Ambassador and Mrs. D. Brent Hardt; Officer-in-Charge, USAID, Mr. Bill Gelman; Chief of Party, GHARP II, Dr. Femi; other guests from local and international partner organizations (PANCAP and other members of the diplomatic corps).  At the helm of the celebrations were:  Chairperson of the GBCHA, Mr. David Bhola; Executive Director, Ms. Suzanne French, and others.