Greater avenues for investments, partnerships on the horizon
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PAIRING local and international partners, the upcoming International Business conference (IBC) has been touted as the ideal platform to facilitate further regional investments, and strengthen partnerships.
President Dr. Irfaan has urged local businesses, especially those in the manufacturing sector, to capitalise on the upcoming event to forge stronger partnerships.
“This gives you an opportunity to build that local partnership, the local private sector. They have the know-how, they understand the market, they understand the culture; the foreign companies have the technology. They have a bit a bit more capital,” Dr. Ali said on Friday, endorsing the IBC.
He added: “When we match that, we get a perfect outcome. So that is why I think this conference is key, because it brings that local firepower and matches it with the international firepower, and gives us an opportunity to build this partnership, because that is what we want, partnership and creating that network.”
Chairman of Action Invest Caribbean, Dr. Vishnu Doerga, during a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, noted that the inaugural IBC, slated for October, will be the ideal platform to facilitate further regional investments, and strengthen partnerships.
The conference, which will bring together key players from the business communities in Guyana and Suriname, is slated to be held at the Marriott Hotel from October 15 to 17.
It is being hosted by the Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce (SGCC) and the GMSA.
“The International Business Conference was really developed out of the missions that the Suriname-Guyana Chamber would have hosted in the past year. We would have done several missions from Suriname to Guyana and Guyana to Suriname,” Dr. Doerga related.
Dr. Doerga, who is also the Chairman of the Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce (SGCC), further emphasised the importance of preserving natural resources, and promoting renewable sources, while highlighting the need for Guyanese and Surinamese companies to further collaborate for mutual benefits.
“For a lot of big companies around the world, they see Guyana as a small country; they see Suriname as a small country. Both have fantastic potential. Guyana is already moving forward with turning that potential into productivity and income for the country. But when they see these two countries with massive opportunity, it becomes very interesting to them to do something across both countries,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Manufacturing & Services Association (GMSA), Executive Director Nizam Hassan stated businesses will be catapulted to new levels.
“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.