PRESIDENT Bharat Jagdeo commissioned a new US$9M state-of-the-art bottling plant at Demerara Distillers Ltd, a leading manufacturer of wines and spirits in Guyana, among many other products.

DDL’s Executive Chairman, Yesu Persaud said that he knew from the time he was asked to take over the company in 1975 that it had to change direction and from that day products were set aside in warehouses for aging.

Mentioning some of the products that have become very valuable because of their rarity on the markets, Dr. Persaud said the 25-year-old rum is a limited edition that has run out and that the very popular product will take another couple of years before it becomes available on the market again.

Persaud said that the company had survived the difficult period when everything was banned and foreign exchange was not available, rising to accrual heights after the economy was liberated and the business climate improved after the change of government in 1992.

He enumerated the many and expanded achievements and the diversified ventures that DDL had successfully initiated.

He noted that the company has come a long way, and explained that in 1992 it was recognised that the Company needed to move away from commodities into brands, so the idea of producing a product of distinction was then conceived and the El Dorado brand was born. The rest is history.

President lauds DDL’s greening of its operational methodologies:

President Jagdeo, in his feature address, said that he can certainly embrace the enthusiasm and the vision that DDL has displayed and congratulated the company for this new venture that will significantly improve their competitiveness globally and transform their operational methodologies in many ways.

Expressing his pleasure with the development at DDL, the President said that he was also pleased with what is taking place around the company’s location, citing the transformation of cane fields into a very vibrant housing scheme, with adjunctive institutions such as a new hospital, a new secondary school, a police station and a competition between three banks for a customer base.

The President said that it is encouraging that our country is moving forward, and businesses are moving in tandem with the vision to recognise that we all have to change, particularly to address the challenges of a changing national environment and a more challenging global environment.

He commended DDL for focusing more on efficiency, stating that many people look on this, in particular the biogas project and the move by the company to green its operations.

The President opined that third-world countries should not focus too much on greening their economies because this should be something for the developed world as they are the ones contributing to the majority of the concentration of greenhouse gases.

Observing that there is merit in that line of argument, he argued that we should also see opportunities in this, and that if we constantly complain about the deficiencies in appropriate actions by the other side, then maybe we will miss extant opportunities.

The President stated: “We may not contribute to a major reduction in greenhouse gases because we are not a large-scale producer of greenhouse gases, but we can benefit from the efficiency associated with the greening process through better and more efficient use of energy, less resources used in our production processes so that we achieve a competitive edge.

“There will be a premium in the future for greener products and maybe if we are early starters then maybe we can benefit from that premium in global markets that reward good green products,” President Jagdeo said.

Saying that the government is working at the national level with the private sector, in particular with the Private Sector Commission, to ensure that Guyana is prepared for a future where rewards will accrue to competitive countries, the President asserted. He assured that this does not mean that the fight for a special model for small developing countries to suit their peculiarities, and the fight for special instruments in the trading and the financing arenas to cater for specificities will be forgotten, because that is vital for survival.

Referring to his trip to New York, where he spoke with US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, the Secretary-General of the UN, Mr. Ban-Ki-Moon, the Presidents of the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), as well as other international powerbrokers, the President said that the thrust of the arguments used is aimed at building consensus at both the technical and political levels that there needs to be such a model.

Stating, that it is hoped that the assistance that have been provided through the ACP and Cotonou Agreements can continue and will not distort global trading, the President said that, notwithstanding all of these considerations, countries still have an obligation to focus on competitiveness, because winning support to that model entails developing a drive to innovate rather than depend on preferences as we have done in the past.

President Jagdeo said that the lack of innovation and the drive to be globally competitive, “because we saw the local market as our playing field, limited our vision, and consequently curbed our income-generation capacities as we never capitalized from the benefits that a more open, broader vision that the world and its opportunities can bring.”

He urged that entrepreneurs ensure that all these factors are addressed in a systematic way so that the highest levels of productivity can be achieved. He reiterated that the Government is working along with the private sector in efforts to create a new framework, factoring in the National Competitiveness Strategy, among others.

Alluding to the volatility in the stock exchange, the President said that, today, for every stock that gained in value, ten depreciated, which he thinks reflects grave uncertainties in world economies.

According to the President, it is very difficult for companies to operate in and make investment decisions in the global marketplace, because the different variable policies in world trading dynamics send very mixed signals.

However, as the President explained, Guyana’s macro-economy and most of the fundamentals are stable. He said that that confidence has been basically restored that our economy is being managed in a sustainable fashion, and that Government expenditure will not put pressure on interest rates and exchange rates and other factors essential to private sector planning and development. When these things are in place the President promised that the subsidiary imperatives will be tackled aggressively.

Stating that he hopes that many more companies will recognise the potential opportunities in our country and be as visionary as DDL has been, the President warned that there will be a future backlash in global interest rates because of the $12 trillion stimulus package, and that the cost of money will go up.

The President continued: “We have, in the near future, to ensure that we maximise our development assistance and try to finance as many as possible activities from self-generated funds, companies, and at the State level from revenues, and because of the huge liquidity in our system, and that we create opportunities for both bankers and the private sector–to finance their progress with a more stable investment outlook.”

The President concluded by applauding DDL for the very important role it has played in the leadership of the private sector.

DDL’s new modernised bottling plant is fully automated and has the capacity to double the bottling output, which will facilitate expanded productivity of the world-renowned El Dorado branded products to meet ever-increasing demand in both the local and international markets.

DDL had announced an estimated $4.5 billion expansion project in June of last year and this new bottling plant is one component in the Company’s projected capital expansion programme.

Persaud expressed his satisfaction at the growth trends of the Company, stating: “We are once again leading the way, not just among companies in Guyana, but we are also leading the way for Guyana. DDL remains active despite the present downturn in the global economy. The Group’s capital expansion continues as a demonstration of faith in the potential of the Guyanese economy and the rebounding of the global markets.”

A brief overview of the company
In the 17th and 18th centuries there existed in Guyana in excess of 200 small distilleries, not counting the illegal brew (bush rum, or moonshine). However, through consolidation and amalgamation, there evolved the singular existing distillery at Plantation Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara, which is solely owned by DDL.

The unique products of DDL owe their distinctive flavours to several factors, as explained in the Company’s website which states – As a result of the strength of the company’s reputation, the company is executing successful brand management and distribution of international brands such as the Dekuyper liqueurs of Holland, of which the company has the franchise to bottle and distribute across the Caribbean, the Mc Murdo Scotch whisky, and a wide range of vodkas, gins, and beer.

At Demerara Distillers, the objective is to increase market share by diversification, product and market development in the domestic and international markets, as well as build customer satisfaction through quality, service and value.

The awards and prizes won by the company both regionally and internationally would fill volumes. As a result of the strength of the company’s reputation, the company is executing successful brand management and distribution of international brands such as the Dekuyper liqueurs of Holland, of which the company has the franchise to bottle and distribute across the Caribbean, the Mc Murdo Scotch whisky, and a wide range of vodkas, gins, and beer.

At Demerara Distillers, the objective is to increase market share by diversification, product and market development in the domestic and international markets, as well as build customer satisfaction through quality, service and value.