-Harmon urges manufacturing sector

THE local manufacturing and services sectors have been urged to place marketing emphasis on the “Made in Guyana” label.

At the same time, Minister of State Joseph Harmon called on the sectors to widen its membership to include small processors whose products have been appearing on the shelves within the Caribbean region and further afield.

Harmon made the call during an address to the members of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) at its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday afternoon at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston. Minister of Business , Dominic Gaskin also attended the event.
Harmon said that many persons in the Caribbean region would examine the labels of products on the shelves to see where it was manufactured. “What is wrong with us,” he asked, noting that in Trinidad and Tobago, the manufacturing sector rose rapidly via funds from the petroleum sector. He said too that the raw materials for the value-added products found in the region were sourced here in Guyana.

“We got to take that raw material and turn it into value-added,” he urged the sector’s members, noting it should be an important “tagline for the GMSA. He said that during one of his experiences, he saw persons purchasing a product in Barbados and when he examined the label of the product, he recognized that it was produced at Lusignan on the East Coast of Demerara.

Harmon said many more products from these shores are around the region.”I want to suggest to the GMSA that you expand your membership and include these little producers that are doing things every single day and are finding markets on their own,” Harmon said.
He noted that if the producers are brought into the mould of the GMSA, they can even improve their outputs via packaging and other areas of branding.

Smuggling and dumping
During Wednesday’s proceedings, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Eddie Boyer told the gathering that a concerted effort has to be undertaken by all stakeholders to address the issue of smuggling and product dumping of inferior items on the markets. He said that the two must be looked at in the context regarding the value of the products, and he named cement as one such product. Boyer said that sector is ready and willing to work with the government on these sensitive issues to take action and implement solutions, as he noted that Guyana is attracting lots of business from further afield.
Executive Member of the GMSA, Ramesh Dookhoo also noted that anti-dumping legislation is needed to protect consumers.

The Minister of State told the gathering that government is also working with the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission to enforce compliance with Consumer Affairs Act to target offences such as price-fixing conspiracy as well as the dumping of inferior and harmful products on the markets. He said misleading advertisements are also among the elements which leave consumers at the mercy of errant private sector operatives.

“These initiatives will minimize unfair competition, reduce processing time and improve service delivery to the private sector,” Harmon said. He said he recalled last year when the authorities took steps to clamp down on the dumping of inferior products on the local market , many of those in the private sector “cried foul when people are bringing items that were mislabeled and passing off on the Guyanese consumers…we were castigated about that .” The Minister of State noted that it is the responsibility of the government as well as the GMSA to ensure consumers are protected from vile practices which take place and pass as legitimate business.