— British High Commissioner tells GSMA dinner and awards ceremony

BRITISH High Commissioner to Guyana, Gregory Quinn has called on the Government and private sector to work together to stamp out corruption, noting that Guyana has dropped two places on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index.
The diplomat made the appeal during his remarks at the 22nd Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association Limited (GMSA) annual Dinner and Awards ceremony at the Pegasus Hotel, last Friday.

“It’s a sad fact that Guyana’s scores from the Transparency International Corruption Index are unacceptable low and I had many discussions with members of the business community,” Quinn told members of the private sector and other dignitaries.
The British envoy during his speech about the ‘Perception of corruption in Guyana’, pointed out that Guyana scored 34 out of 100 in the Transparency International Corruption Index.
“The global average is 43 and the average of the Americans is 44. Anything below 50 indicates a failure to tackle corruption,” the commissioner said.

According to him, the Transparency International Corruption Index is globally accepted and is highly praised by investors desirous of doing business in any given country.
He added that it is critical for the Government and the public sector to address this crucial issue before the oil revenue comes on stream.

“There are too many instances worldwide where oil revenues have not been spent in the way that it should have been; instead it was converted into pet projects and into other people’s pockets. Guyana must avoid that!” the commissioner urged.
Last year Guyana dropped from 126 to 124 in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index.

Quinn also noted that bureaucracy must be reduced and the ability of entrepreneurs to set up businesses must be made easier.
Labelling entrepreneurs as the driver of the private sector, the diplomat pointed out that there is still a lot of work to be done in Guyana as suggested in the index.
Before closing his presentation, the commissioner touched on the importation of Green Heart to the United Kingdom.

He stressed that there is no ban on the importation of Green Heart lumber to the UK, but noted that there are regulations which have to be followed.
He added that timber is currently being imported from the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development.

Some 17 companies were honoured at the dinner and awards ceremony.
Plympton Farms received the President’s Award for their significant export of processed pepper to regional and international markets.
The National Milling Company was honoured in recognition of the company’s attaining international food safety certification to facilitate supply to KFC and Pizza Hut fast food franchise holders in Guyana and the region.

Sterling Products Limited, Bounty Farm Limited, Flexotech Inc., Precision Custom Carves, a subsidiary of Bulkan Timber Works Inc.; Umami Inc., Fiber Tech Industrial Plastics, Massy Gas Products Limited, SS Natural Fruit Flavour, and Brass Aluminum Cast Iron Company were among the other companies honoured.