THERE was a time in Guyana when the country was a primary producer of raw materials for the metropolitan markets. Our bauxite, sugar, manganese and other products were shipped overseas where they were refined and sold at significantly higher prices. There was hardly any large-scale manufacturing done by the local private sector.  The colonial administration did everything to ensure that the country remained a primary producer of raw materials.

To a large extent, we were producing for the export market, with very little value-added services done locally. One consequence of such a situation was a skewed development pattern which only served to reinforce a dependency syndrome in which we were forced to sell cheap and buy imported products, literally through our noses.

It was not until the PPP came to power in the late 1950s that some attempt was made to change the growth dynamic and support the growth of the manufacturing sector through the establishment of industrial sites and providing incentives to the business community and commerce.  That initiative, however, was stunted after the PPP was removed from office in 1964. It was only after the return of the PPP/C in October 1992 that the manufacturing sector began to once again flourish.

The local manufacturing sector has been given a boost with a recent initiative which will allow for local manufacturers and producers to apply to the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) to use the ‘Made in Guyana’ certification mark.

This is indeed a commendable and forward-looking development which will go a far way in terms of enhancing our competitiveness both on the local and the international market. Doing the honours in unveiling the first such activity was First Lady Mrs. Arya Ali. The Made in Guyana mark is a registered mark that aims to provide recognition to locally manufactured products on the local and international markets. This could help to enhance national competitiveness for authentic Guyanese products certified under the programme while at the same time creating and promoting brand recognition and market advantage for participating businesses.

The Made in Guyana certification programme is highly beneficial to local manufacturers in that it provides a framework for the development of quality systems to enhance the country’s local content. Under the programme, products will be certified based on a number of established criteria including the quantity of local raw materials used in their production and the number of Guyanese staff employed, which should be no less than 70 per cent. This requirement is particularly significant in terms of job creation for Guyanese.

This development could not have come at a better time when the country is experiencing a new wave of local and foreign investments due in part to oil and gas but also to the investor-friendly measures taken by the PPP/C Administration to attract investment in the country.

The manufacturing sector is showing significant expansion within the recent past. It employs roughly 12 per cent of the labour force in the country. It accounts for roughly US$2 billion in terms of export receipts in 2021. Much of this expansion is the result of the growth strategies employed by the current government. Among these are the provision of infrastructural support, the provision of tax incentives for new investments; reducing processing time for applications and the establishment of new industrial sites in several parts of the country.

The government must be commended for the several policy interventions to propel the growth of the manufacturing sector. The sector is poised for further growth and expansion in the coming years as the economy becomes further consolidated with higher revenue inflows and the creation of new investment opportunities.

President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has said that local manufacturers and service providers will continue to stake their claim to national development as the government moves to fashion a transformative economic agenda. According to President Ali, development will leapfrog over the next decade. Our manufacturers and service providers will be integral to the writing of this glorious chapter in our country’s history.