Dear Editor,
Being the consummate optimist, I always believe things are good and will only get better.
The world’s financial crisis thankfully has not affected Guyanese as much as citizens in developed countries. However, one learnt that business in Guyana has been affected as a consequence of the consultancy done by the Private Sector Commission (PSC).
From time immemorial Guyana has been identified as the breadbasket of the Caribbean and I am convinced that Guyana can still be the breadbasket. However, the same can only be achieved if the mindset of Guyanese businessmen changes.
The system is over-burdened with traders and this is causing some confusion in the system where there are not enough buyers.
As the Chairman of the Agriculture Sub-Committee of the PSC I am very disappointed at the response of these traders, which is very negative, as they think that farming is too risky and the rate of return is not as good as in trading.
The administration is very correct when they say that the private sector needs to get more involved as they are putting many things in place and the time is right for the private sector to pick it up and run with it.
The mindset of these people has to change and they need to look seriously at investing some money in agriculture and get involved in farming as a business rather than subsistence. This is very much needed to move agriculture forward, and as more money is generated from these agricultural operators, the farmers will have more to spend thus resulting in more sales for the traders.
There are two options that can be considered:
(a) the formation of companies which will acquire shares and the money used to achieve production through a professional board and management team, with profits paid to shareholders; or
(b) a fund can be established when the money that is put in is repaid with a fixed interest rate and this fund is managed by a professional board which overlooks a professional management team involved in production.
Either of these ideas if successful could be implemented countrywide.
Yours faithfully,
Beni Sankar
