Locally-made products now on sale on GMSA-sponsored website
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The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) has revamped a website where locally-processed agricultural products and other items are on sale.
The UncappeD Marketplace portal also facilitates free delivery of purchased products nationwide.
At least 30 businesses are selling online. “The initiative marks a major step in empowering local producers to scale their operations and connect directly with consumers nationwide,” GMSA communications officer, Nikeshia Castello told a recently-held awards ceremony.
The initiative is as a result of a memorandum of understanding between the GMSA and the International Trade Centre (ITC) under a European Union-funded project that aims to strengthen nutritious foods, food security and sustainable value chains in the Caribbean.
GMSA Executive Member, Ramsay Ali said the website was relaunched at the right time and he appealed to Guyanese to support the entrepreneurs. “These are small businesses that need our support. There is convenient shopping and they have come a long way,” he said. Mr Ali said, for instance, the labelling and packaging have improved from where they were 10 years ago.
Mr Ali said soon an app would be developed. Plans are also underway to facilitate payments by Mobile Money Guyana (MMG) and bank transfers.
GMSA President Rafeek Khan also sounded a call for Guyanese to buy local because the quality and standards are improving. “Being a patriotic investor is one thing. As Guyanese, we invest in Guyana but being patriotic consumers, meaning ‘buy local’, support your local brands, embrace them. We’re getting better and I encourage you strongly because without local manufacturing, we’re going nowhere,” he said.
Mr Khan, meanwhile, said the 62-year-old GMSA would be investing GY$250 million in establishing a business incubator for small, medium and large companies. “We want to have our own business incubator and not just waiting on the government to do it. I believe the private sector can do it as well,” he said.
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GMSA eyes $250M incubator & Uncapped Market 2026 in major growth push
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Capping off a year marked by major service improvements, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) is gearing up to launch its UnCapped Market Place 2026 while establishing a $250 million business incubator aimed at boosting local enterprises.
GMSA President Rafeek Khan, speaking at the Association’s 30th Annual Presentation Awards Ceremony at the Marriott Hotel, said Guyana’s rich resources and expanding economic landscape are creating unprecedented investment opportunities.
“This is how we transition into new economies. I believe this could be a manufacturers’ incubator for small, medium and large companies,” Khan explained, noting that the facility will allow businesses to operate without relying on government-provided infrastructure.
The ceremony also honoured member companies for their contribution to national development. The Uncapped Market Place Online Portal – used to connect businesses with consumers – was also introduced during the ceremony.
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh said the country’s rapid expansion in private investments reflects confidence in Guyana’s development trajectory. He emphasised that government efforts to strengthen infrastructure and human capacity are not short-term but designed to support emerging industries.
“You know the investments we are making to improve the quality of life enjoyed by our population, ensuring we have a healthy workforce with the right skills,” he said.
Dr Singh underscored that the planned landing of a second gas pipeline in Berbice, recently announced by President Dr Irfaan Ali, will trigger a new wave of industrial development, expanding electricity generation and complementing the Wales Gas-to-Energy project.
Crucially, the new infrastructure opens doors to industries previously unexplored.
“The potential for fertiliser production, the potential for value-added operations that we have not been able to host in Guyana… the potential to develop energy-intensive industries,” Singh said.
Value-added production remains a national priority, and GMSA has already responded by forming several consortiums this year, aligning with President Ali’s call for local businesses to collaborate and compete in the growing economy.
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‘It’s time for reciprocity’ – Jagdeo tells manufacturers
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Manufacturers continue to complain about barriers that hinder the export of their products within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo said Guyana may need to impose restrictions too – ‘It’s time for reciprocity’ in many areas.
“If you don’t take our stuff, we’re not going to allow free access to your products,” Jagdeo said in a room full of local manufacturers at the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) Presentation Awards Dinner on Thursday night.
His statement was made in response to a concern raised by Lesley Ramlall, a local manufacturer behind the ‘Only Coconuts’ brand.
Ramlall told Vice President that the company has been unable to export even a single bottle of coconut oil to Trinidad and Tobago, even as its products were being accepted in other CARICOM countries and further afield.
Jagdeo acknowledged the concern, noting it is a longstanding issue.
Beyond his stance on reciprocity, the Vice President said such issues must be raised in the public domain to place pressure on countries acting against the cooperative spirit of CARICOM.
Speaking directly to GMSA President Ramsay Ali, Jagdeo said: “You have to raise it… raise the issues. That’s how we have to work, we’re not going to take this nonsense. They do this alot. They use phytosantiary restrictions as a trade barrier.”
Phytosanitary restrictions are quarantine and biosecurity measures implemented by countries to help safeguard against the spread of pests or diseases that may be in agricultural products.
Locals have flagged how these restrictions impede regional trade. As Guyana leads CARICOM’s efforts to massively slash the region’s food import bill by growing more food and upping trade, there has been an increased focus on removing these impediments.
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