THE Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) has reiterated its call for visa-free access to Canada for Guyanese.

This call follows an announcement emanating from the Government of Canada which indicates that 13 countries have qualified to receive visa-free access to the North American country. The list includes Latin American and Caribbean territories, and others.

“The GCCI welcomes that the Government of Canada remains receptive to allowing visa-free access to its territory and views this as a positive move to engender economic growth.

“In light of this move, the Chamber of Commerce would like to take the opportunity to reiterate its call for visa-free access for Guyanese to Canada. Having established diplomatic relations with Guyana since 1964, the two countries have developed strong economic and commercial ties, developed on mutual respect for democracy and enterprise,” the chamber said.

Guyana, as it is now, is the third largest merchandising partner with Canada in the Caribbean Community and is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

The GCCI itself continues to deepen relations with Canada, having established MoUs with a number of sister agencies in the country, hosting and fielding trade missions and continuing to work to support partnerships between Guyanese and Canadian companies.

With a diaspora in excess of 85,000 in Canada, the GCCI believes that removal of the visa restriction of Guyanese to Canada will serve to engender improved trade relations, support deeper commercial and economic ties, and support economic growth for both territories.

“The GCCI thanks the Government of Canada and the Canadian people for [their] continued leadership role in global affairs, support for Guyana’s development and anticipates continued cooperation with both the government and private sector of Canada,” the chamber said.