– NQI Project Official

GEOGRAPHICAL Indications (GI) branding would be perfect for promoting and marketing small, community-based businesses in Guyana and would give them the sort of exclusivity that their products need and deserve on both local and international markets.

So says Component Coordinator of the Project Execution Unit within the IDB-funded National Quality Infrastructure Project, Jowala Somai.
GI is a certification process, much like those being promoted by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)- an organisation that develops certain standards to ensure the quality, safety, and efficiency of products and services being offered by a company.

GIs are names and other designations used on goods that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that is due to that place of origin. GIs ensure that a specific name can only be used for products made or originating in a specific geographical location. Accordingly, instead of conferring an exclusive right to a single producer, GIs confer a right to all the producers of a specific region whose products comply with the specifications of the product.

At the moment, the Demerara Rum by Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) is the only product in the country that is GI branded, having received the certification earlier this year. Since then, local authorities have been working to have more companies come on board in this manner.

But currently, Guyana is not at the point where it can award branding because the country is still awaiting the review of laws governing GI. Once this is done, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) will be the agency responsible for issuing the certification. GNBS is reportedly in the process of having everything finalised.

Somai, who has years of experience working in standards and quality, believes that businesses should use this time to get together and start the process of GI branding, so that once the review of the Act is completed, they can move right on ahead with having their products branded.

Originally, geographical indications were executed in accordance with national laws. However, national protection had weaknesses as products were often imitated outside the country of origin. It soon became apparent that international cooperation was required to ensure that geographical indications were protected internationally and that there was reciprocity in the level of protection between states.

Somai explained that the NQI project was tasked with activities that focus on providing locally manufactured products with export markets and helping make them become more competitive; GI branding is one such tool that can be used toward this end.

“GNBS came to us and asked for support to establish the infrastructure for GI branding in Guyana, so we awarded a consultancy to someone in Belgium to come and review our system (the Act and all testing facilities, etc.) as well as to train staff from GNBS as to how to go about conducting a GI audit. That consultancy was done in 2019 and the consultant produced a report with recommendations.

As authorities work to implement these and reform the Act, Somai believes that much can be done in the meantime by local businesses that are interested in becoming GI branded. “It’s quite an expensive process that takes some time to put together; DDL started even before 2019 but only got it in 2021. So by the time the businesses get themselves in order, the Act may be passed and GNBS will be the legal authority and will be able to issue the certificates,” Somai explained in an interview with Pepperpot Magazine.

To help curb the expenses involved in becoming certified, it would be more practical for businesses of a similar nature to come together and apply for the certification together. “Small manufacturers can come together under one label. GI is available to anyone but more appropriate for community-based operations. It incurs a lot of money, but the burden would be lessened if it is done as a group. When you do it as a group, you’re not competing against each other. You’re helping each other; everyone is able to benefit from the process,” Somai pointed out.

Commenting on the effectiveness of GI branding, he said: “It prevents people from imitating your product. Guyanese from all over the world would be more inclined to buy something with the GI branding. It improves marketability and protects the product from imitation that can cause harm to the product and ruin your business.”

Background
On December 30, 2005, Guyana adopted the Geographical Indications Act of 2005 and on May 14, 2008, the Guyana government enacted the Act through a Commencement Order. These two instruments make up the full body of law on geographical indications in Guyana.

Since then, there were requests from Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation to have their products rum, sugar and molasses certified as GIs. This could not be realised because the system to execute this process was not in place.

To address this deficiency, the consultancy mentioned earlier was executed and the recommendations made. Since then, the infrastructure needed to execute the activities of the control system has been identified and are in place. The GI Act of 2005 and the Commencement Order from 2008 are presently being revised according to the recommendations proposed from the consultancy to ensure that legal aspects of the control system are in place.

Three additional products – Heart of Palm, Rice and Greenheart Lumber) have been identified for registration and certification as GI brand locally.