-business start-up, supply sourcing ideas to be shared

CATAPULTING businesses to a new level, the upcoming International Business Conference (IBC) promises to be the ideal platform to pair up local businesses and investors.

This is according to the Guyana Manufacturing & Services Association (GMSA), Executive Director Nizam Hassan, who, in a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle shared that the GMSA is collaborating with the Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce (SGCC) to host an International Business Conference focused on investment opportunities and manufacturing in Guyana.

“The conference aims to address challenges and promote collaboration, particularly in energy-efficient manufacturing to position Guyana as a Caribbean manufacturing hub. It will also provide information on setting up businesses, networking opportunities, and supply sourcing within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM),” Hassan said.

He pointed out that the conference’s agenda has been strategically crafted to ensure that businesses, especially those within the manufacturing sector in the region can access investment opportunities both locally and internationally.
Business owners and investors alike will have access to key information all in one space.

“It’s sort of like to shorten the learning curve in a new marketplace,” Hassan said.

He further urged local manufacturers to participate in the upcoming conference, pointing out the opportunity to share with international partners the expansive prospects that exist for investments.

“We’re pushing to position Guyana as the manufacturing destination for the Caribbean, especially with energy costs projected to be lower than what they currently are. And energy being one of the major contributors in any manufacturing process, in terms of the cost structure, the cost of energy plays an important part in any business taking the decision to go into manufacturing in Guyana,” he said, adding: “Guyana is just moving. There are always business opportunities daily that are mushrooming, and those that have gone past mushroom and growing into plants and are growing bigger into trees.”

The conference, he reiterated, will provide information on all that is required, from initially setting up a business in Guyana, whether it is an enterprise or limited liability company, who are the agencies, or what are the agencies that need to be contacted.

He stressed that there will be stakeholders and speakers at the conference who will guide, listen and respond to queries.

“Sometimes there’s going to be challenges that as a business progress they will experience, but those challenges will be discussed and solutions will be preferred…for policy makers, for businesses, for business support organisations to support government agencies to implement, to reduce those challenges, if not eliminate them. So, it is the conference in which delegates will have that information all at once, well over three days.”

IBC is slated to be held at the Marriott Hotel from October 15 to 17.
It has been said that the IBC will focus on streamlining the ease of doing business and facilitating investments between international businesses and Guyana and Suriname in key sectors including, energy, infrastructure, finance, logistics, agriculture, and business support services.

The IBC is expecting over 100 speakers, and more than 500 delegates, with in excess of 15 conference sessions.