Author: GMSA

GMSA elects new board of directors

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– Managing Director of Woods Direct, Mr. Rafeek Khan, has been re-elected unopposed to head the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA).
He will be supported by Mr. Ramsay Ali, CEO of Sterling Products Limited, as First Vice President and Chairman of Agro-Processing Sub-sector; Dr. Vishnu Doerga of ActionINVEST Caribbean Inc., as Second Vice President and Mr. Vasudeo Singh, Chief Financial Officer of Demerara Distillers Limited, as Third Vice-President and Treasurer.
In a release, it was noted that the GMSA) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the fiscal year 2022-2023. This was held in two parts, as is customary. On March 31, 2022, 13 board directors were elected through a blended voting process, in-person and virtually.
On April 19, 2022, the President, three Vice-Presidents and Treasurer, the remaining
members, were elected to form the full complement of the Board of Directors.
Mr. Khan, in his brief remarks to the Board, emphasised his gratitude in being re-elected to serve once more as President. He stated, “I am humbled by the opportunity to serve you and the invaluable GMSA membership for a second term. I have no doubt that this year will be even more dynamic and progressive for the GMSA.”
Mr. Khan further explained that it is his vision to create a dynamic and progressive GMSA by ensuring greater representation and maximising opportunities for the membership of the association.
He underscored the importance of public-private partnerships in creating and enabling cohesive and conducive environments. The sub-sectors within the GMSA have been re-aligned and will reflect Agro-Processing and Agriculture being separate, the emergence of an Information Communications & Technology (ICT) subsector and the merging of Forestry and Mining which will form Extractive Industries. This, he notes, will ensure maximum benefits to members are received coupled with aiding where Guyana is currently heading with the advent of the Oil and Gas sector.
Mr. Khan stressed the importance of joint inter-ministerial working groups and how these have aided the GMSA. He hopes to engage more ministries in the future to further compliment the work.
As an addition, a trade and investment committee will be set up within the GMSA to assist in the facilitation of trade relations in Guyana and across the region. “This committee will also help to foster opportunities for investments across all our sectors by seeking out more non-traditional financing,” stated Mr. Khan.
Finally, he added that of utmost importance, he will be working for the membership of GMSA and assisting them to take their businesses to the next level amid the many challenges being faced globally.
The 2022/2023 Board of Directors are as follows: Durable Wood Products – Mr. Rafeek Khan, President of GMSA; Sterling Products Ltd. – Mr. Ramsay Ali, First Vice-President and Chairman of Agro-Processing Sub-sector; ActionINVEST Caribbean Inc. – Dr. Vishnu Doerga, Second Vice-President; Demerara Distillers Ltd – Mr. Vasudeo Singh, Third Vice-President and Treasurer; Agro Services Inc. – Mr. Aditya Persaud, Chairman of Agriculture Sub-sector; New GPC Inc. – Mr. Narendranauth Maraj, Chairman of Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Sub-sector; Brass Aluminium and Cast Iron Foundry – Mr. Peter Pompey, Chairman of Construction and
Engineering Sub-sector; Superior Woods – Mr. Denish Bisessar, Chairman of Extractive Industries Sub-sector; DENMOR Garment Manufacturers – Ms. Upasna Mudlier, Chairman of Textiles and Sewn Goods Sub-sector; GTT – Mr. Orson Ferguson, Chairman of Information Communication Technology (ICT) Sub-sector; Social Rank Media – Mr. Rosh Khan, Chairman of Services Sub-sector
The executive members include: Banks DIH Ltd.– Mr. Ramesh Dookhoo, Barama Company Ltd. – Mr. Mohindra Chand, Bulkan Timber Works – Ms. Roseann Bulkan, Edward B. Beharry and Company Ltd. – Mr. Raymond Ramsaroop, Environmental Management Consultants – Mr. Shyam Nokta, GAICO Construction and Engineering Service – Mr. Komal Singh, NAMILCO – Mr. Vishal Lalbachan, UMAMI Inc. – Mr. Chris Persaud, Latitude Geospatial Consulting Inc. – Mr. Haimwant Persaud and Tropical Shipping Agents – Ms. Glenis Hodge.

GMSA lauds amendments to COVID measures

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Pursuant to the advisory issued today, regarding the amendments to the COVID-19 emergency measures (No 1 of 2022), the GMSA welcomes this provision by the National COVID-19 task force. The Government of

Guyana through this task force has been monitoring and evaluating the impact of the pandemic in Guyana, thus resulting in the lift of the National Curfew at this time. We support this provision since worldwide trends have pointed to vaccination coupled with responsible behaviours is considered to be the most effective way to fight this pandemic rather than lockdowns.

The GMSA also uses this opportunity to encourage all manufacturing and services organizations, and furthermore the entire business community to be cognizant of their actions in the elimination of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We urge the Citizens of Guyana to be responsible in their actions and behaviours going forward and to become vaccinated and to get booster shots where applicable so that we can curb the spread of this disease.

Furthermore, we remind the general public to continue hand washing, using face masks and following all related COVID-19 protocols.

GMSA budget comment seeks more $$ for small business development

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Against the backdrop of what, over several years, has been a failure on the part of government to grant incentives and create opportunities for the meaningful expansion and growth of the micro- and small-business sector in Guyana, one of the country’s high-profile Business Support Organizations (BSOs) has issued a call for the government to ‘change gears,’ and to throw its weight more purposefully behind modest business ventures even as these continue to become manifestly worn down by the various pressures associated with the advent of the coronavirus pandemic.

On Saturday last, the Guyana Manufacturing & Services Association (GMSA) used its customary media assessment of the country’s annual budget to call for “an expansion of the grant component” on funding provided by the country’s Small Business Bureau (SBB) “to further improve small businesses’ capability and readiness for local content opportunities.”

In issuing the call for a more generous measure of grant financing from the SBB, the GMSA noted that much of the GMSA’s membership “is made up of small business owners especially in the agro-processing sector.”

Since its launch in 2013 the SBB has been unable to provide an adequate response to the growth ambitions of its members, particularly in the agro-processing sector, a circumstance that has drawn criticism from agro- processors who have made comments to the effect that the Bureau is not ideally structured to keep pace with the growth ambitions of micro and small businesses. Other critics of the modus operandi of the SBB blame what they say has been the fact that from its inception it has failed to secure the autonomy that is necessary for its effectiveness but rather, continues to be tied to the ‘apron strings’ of a government ministry, with all of the procedures and constraints that attend that relationship. What its being harnessed to a government ministry has also created over the years is its inheritance of a reluctance to place information in the public domain with regard to what is widely believed to be its considerable task to meet the job creation targets set back in 2013.