SMALL business survivability in Guyana is to be examined under a US$200,000 project by the Government of Guyana (GOG) and  the Government of Chile, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce has disclosed.

Expressions of interest (EOI) have been requested by the Ministry    for consultants capable of undertaking the study.
The EOI have also been requested for  an additional study on the economics of starting and operating a small business in Guyana.
The overall aim of both studies is poverty alleviation among the rural poor through acquiring and disseminating  information which can help  outlying businesses to  become more efficient, competitive and sustainable.
The studies are part of a larger programme  targeting the rural poor titled: “Enhancing the  economic livelihood of the poor in Guyana”.
DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP

It has been described as a development partnership between Guyana and Chile which aims at strengthening policy options for significantly reducing poverty with emphasis on cottage and linkage industries.
The agreement was signed by Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce (ag.), Irfaan Ali and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Coordinator, Ms. Khadija Musa on May 12.
Mr Ali had disclosed that the project will   complement the Rural Development Fund which has been funded in the 2014 budget.
The grant provided by the Government of Chile will help to develop and equip rural entrepreneurs with capacity and skill in order to create more efficient businesses.
The project comprises three interrelated areas: eco-tourism development, rural enterprise development and coping strategies for the rural poor.
Emphasis will also be placed on how to make businesses competitive by way of training in management, addressing the issue of accessing financing from banks, and decision-making.
It will be implemented by the GOG through the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce in partnership with the UNDP and will be supported with  technical assistance from the Government of Chile and local and  external experts.
The Ministry’s advertisement, suggesting that the project is entering implementation phase,  disclosed that the EOI for the two studies are expected to be submitted by August 13 latest.

(By Clifford Stanley)