GUYANA Manufacturing & Services Association (GMSA) is one of the leading and recognised business support organisations structured to serve as a critical link between the manufacturing and services sectors and the relevant stakeholders.

This was acknowledged at the organisation’s recent annual awards ceremony and dinner by its President, Mr. Mohindra Chand.
He was speaking at the function, in the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown, to honour the sterling contribution of business entities and individuals who have made impressive strides in the fields of export, manufacturing and related areas.
Delivering his yearly report, he mentioned that the GMSA also serves as an important linkage between relevant stakeholders, inclusive of governmental, regulatory and funding agencies, the media and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
With about 20 awardees in the large audience inclusive of special invitees, Chand noted that the GMSA is 115 members strong and managed by a 21-member Board of Directors.
He emphasised that, generally, their responsibility to members extends from the stage of formulation, usually in the micro or small scale phase.
Chand said the GMSA also oversees and facilitates the sustenance and growth of member companies and entities categorised under agro-processing, forestry and wood products, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, construction and engineering, minerals and related services, fast foods, textiles and sewn goods and, of course, other services.

SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES
He said, this year, they marked some significant milestones and succeeded in taking the GMSA, its own members and a portion of Guyana’s small, large and medium size businesses beyond the national borders.
Chand said, during the year, the manufacturing sector recorded minimal growth as it did in 2011 but general intelligence has informed them that it has been affected by the influx of foreign goods that retail at significantly lower prices.
He said this speaks directly to the growing number of requests from their members for advocacy at the level of government for, among other things, lower energy costs, increased commercial banking incentives and, above all, a more time efficient Customs Administration that will benefit importers and exporters and, ultimately, local end users of imported goods.
Chand said, on the ‘flip side’, the high cost of production of locally manufactured goods remains one of several factors affecting their ability to compete evenly at home and abroad.
He said, this year, they have had several fruitful interactions with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and will continue to advocate strongly for the implementation of the Single Window Automated Processing System (SWAPS) that will significantly contract the time it takes to process documents for imports and exports.
According to him, the GMSA continued its trade facilitation thrust this year via some programmes that were already in train and their now firmly entrenched business luncheons were maintained as the vehicle by which they were able to create more opportunities for trade with countries that have more vibrant economies.
He reported that, this year, the GMSA hosted the Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Mr. Nikolai Smirnov and the Indian High Commissioner, Mr. Puran Mal Meena. CARICOM Secretary General, Mr. Irwin La Rocque joined this elite group of diplomats in February and spoke to the business community about the importance of Guyana continuing to develop import/export relations with other regional markets, especially for fish, rice and sugar.
A month earlier, Chief Executive Officer of the Canada-based Reunion Manganese Company, Mr. Jo Bayah talked about the strides that their year old operations have made in exploration for viable deposits of the mineral and outlined the forecast for exporting the vital input to steel production.

RETURN VISIT
Chand said another critical outstanding trade facilitation initiative was their return visit to Brazil required under Guyana/Brazil trade exchange project.
He also highlighted the role GMSA played in the 2012 National Exposition and Fair which was held under the theme ‘Strengthening the Traditional, Embracing the New’.   There, they were able to address and interact with local and invited foreign exhibitors and the advantage was taken to expound on the ‘Made in Guyana’ concept which is expected to form the nucleus of their programmes going forward.
They also accepted the invitation from the Corentyne Chamber of Commerce to address the opening of the now annual Berbice Expo that was themed ‘Showcasing Opportunities, Fulfilling our Potential’.
On that occasion, the Immediate Past President, Mr. Clinton Williams focused on food and energy security, new ideas for repositioning the Tourism Sector and pursuance of new economic drivers, Chand said.