– membership grows six-fold in one year

THE American Chamber of Commerce in Guyana (AmCham Guyana) must be able to represent locally what is best about America and has already begun to exceed expectations with a membership increase some six-fold in just one year

This was the observation of US Ambassador, Sarah-Ann Lynch, who made remarks at a well-attended opening ceremony of the Chamber’s Black Tie Recognition Gala hosted at the Marriott Hotel on Thursday.

There, Lynch said the US has recognised the important work of the chamber which has moved its membership from 16 to just fewer than 100 as it continues to make enormous strides in giving assistance to new businesses.

She thanked AmCham President, Zulfikar Ali, for leading the organisation through its first stage of development as she hailed the chamber as a “leader in the Guyanese business community”.

Some of the chamber’s accomplishments she listed were its strong vision for growth; the diversity amongst its board, membership and events which are highly inclusive of all groups in Guyana and its impact on business, politics and the international community.

Speaking to the latter, the US ambassador noted that AmCham, most recently, took part in important meetings in Washington with the Department of State and the National Security Council where members discussed the important role the chamber plays in Guyana.

“To have the name ‘America’ in your title has certain advantages but it also comes with certain responsibilities. You need to represent what is best about America in both how you do business and also how you live in your community. American values, like Guyanese values, include the power of giving to make communities better,” Lynch advised.

She acknowledged the chamber’s efforts in this regard, the recent sponsoring of a Thanksgiving Luncheon where over 100 senior citizens were treated to a memorable time.

Lynch added: “The Embassy continues to be highly committed to the growth of US business in Guyana and the trade between our two countries.”

In brief remarks, AmCham President, Zulfikar Ali, thanked supporters and members of the chamber for their contributions over the year – which have added to the chamber’s success.

He noted that without international and local support, many of the advocacy, networking and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives would not have been possible.

Ali said AmCham will also continue to work along with private sector organisations, international partners and members of the diplomatic community to promote fair elections and respect for the rule of law.

At the event, several members of AmCham received awards. These included Optique Vision Care, El Dorado Trading, SOL Guyana, Republic Bank Ltd., Macorp, Fix it Hardware, Black and Decker, JHI Associates Inc. and the Wine Vault.