THE Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mehidpurwala Furnishers Pvt. Ltd. (MFP) – India, which will facilitate expansion of the furniture manufacturing industry in Guyana and allow both countries to access more opportunities for capacity-building, transfer of technology and skills, capital, and market development.

The MoU was signed by GMSA President, Rafeek Khan, and Adnan Raja (CEO) of MFP.

In a press release, the GMSA said that Khan seized the opportunity to establish the alliance while attending the 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) in Indore at Madhya Pradesh Global Investors Summit with government officials and members of Guyana’s private sector.

The MoU will facilitate collaboration with development support by companies seeking to form consortiums in order to strengthen the furniture-manufacturing sector in Guyana and to meet the country’s rapidly growing demand in both domestic and regional markets.

Mehidpurwala Furnishers Pvt. Ltd is one of several companies that Khan has engaged during his visit to India.

According to the release, he visited the company’s impressive seven-storey showroom which covers 100,000 square feet of space. The showroom features a wide variety of furniture pioneered by the company for every type of consumer, from affordable to luxury furniture which are utilised in houses, hotels, hospitals educational institutions, industries, warehouses and other infrastructural industries.

Mehidpurwala Furnishers Pvt. Ltd is a fourth-generation company with more than 135 years of experience.

The furniture products are constructed with materials such as Indian tik wood, pre-laminated engineered board and steel, some of which will be imported from India and finished in Guyana.
Guyanese hardwood species will be used in manufacturing the furniture as well, thereby increasing opportunities within the forestry sector and building indigenous manufacturing capacities within Guyana, the release added.

Also present from the GMSA were Chairman of the Services Sub-Sector, Haimwant Persaud; Board Members Shyam Nokta, Rosh Khan and Komal Singh. David Mahmalji of MHM Holdings Inc., a member of the association joined the delegation in India.

The MoU is the first signed by a Guyanese business support organisation in the state of Madhya Pradesh during the Global Investors Summit.