GUYANA’S Electronic Single Window (ESW) for trade has processed 13,930 applications, with about 60 per cent handled digitally, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Susan Rodrigues said.
Speaking at the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) Business Luncheon, themed Building the Bridge: Local Capacity, Global Partnership, Rodrigues said the system was designed to make trade easier by allowing businesses to submit applications through a central portal rather than approach agencies individually.
The Electronic Single Window is intended to simplify import and export procedures by bringing applications for multiple government agencies onto one platform.
The platform brings together services from agencies involved in trade, including the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Food and Drug Authorities, agriculture agencies including the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI).
“We have championed digital transformation for all our services, and we’ve developed this electronic single window system for trade for all of your permits, so helping to improve the ease of doing a business here, rather than having to run to different ministries for approval.”
Rodrigues described the digital platform as part of the Government’s drive to improve the ease of doing business.
Its phased introduction replaced a dual system that had required some applications to be handled manually, she said.
The Minister said the portal helps businesses apply for import and export licences and related approvals in one place, reducing the need to visit multiple offices.
She added that the system was intended to support growing trade activity and the government’s wider digital transformation efforts.
“We’ve already processed 13,930 applications online, of these are 60 per cent are processed digitally, and the other 40 per cent still manually.”
Rodrigues placed the initiative within a broader programme to strengthen local businesses and manufacturing.
She cited government incentives for manufacturers, including exemptions relating to raw and packaging materials, and said small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) needed support to become investment- and export-ready.
She urged businesses to build quality and compliance into their production processes from the outset, noting that meeting Guyana’s national standards does not automatically satisfy the requirements of every overseas market.
The minister also encouraged SMEs to make use of government support and to form partnerships that bring access to technology, knowledge and skills. Such measures, she said, would help local firms take advantage of Guyana’s expanding trade opportunities.
“We have an active small business economy here in Guyana, and we are extremely proud of that. We encourage that, and I want to reiterate that we are here to support our SMEs. We are here to ensure that we give you that support to come up, build up on the strong private sector, but in particular.”