Hard-pressed local micro and small businesses in the agriculture and agro processing sector will benefit from a multi-faceted support package that will derive from the outcomes of a memorandum of understanding signed last Friday between the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) and the US-based United Guyana Diaspora Global Network (UGDGN).
Small operators in the agriculture and agro-processing sector have been amongst the hardest hit self-employed persons, victims of the raging COVID-19. The MOU stipulates that the GMSA and the diaspora group will provide beneficiaries with support in the areas of financing, market expansion, capacity building and knowledge transfer.
The initiative comes on the heels of the September webinar staged by the GMSA and the office of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which focused on issues impacting the sectors.
President of the Association, Mr. Wayne Forde and Association member Dr. Kofi Dalrymple participated in the virtual event, which afforded the opportunity to learn more about UGDGN’s involvement in agriculture.
The signing of the MOU comes on the heels of a meeting several weeks ago between this newspaper and GMSA President Shyam Nokta, during which he undertook to ensure that the GMSA explore avenues through which it could support small businesses at a time when these have come under the greatest pressure on account of the pandemic.
The Stabroek Business has commented recently on the paucity of support for hard-pressed micro and small businesses forthcoming from both the state and the Business Support Organizations.
In welcoming the UGDGN’s intervention, the GMSA stated in a joint media release with the diaspora group that the collaborative initiative with UGDGN had come on the heels of government’s “recent commitment to engage the Guyanese Diaspora to assist in the development of Guyana” and to “re-establish the Diaspora and Remigration Unit, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation,” initiatives which the release said would “allow for a structured engagement with the diaspora aimed at strengthening relations and dialogue and to foster national development.”
Over the years, attempts to grow a robust relationship between Guyana and Guyanese in the diaspora have secured only limited traction. Guyana’s diplomatic missions in countries like the USA, UK and Canada where significant numbers of Guyanese live have never been adequately staffed to support the suite of services necessary to sustain effective Remigration Units.
UGDGN President Forde said at the signing event that the signing of the MOU “affirms a commitment between the Government of Guyana and interested stakeholders in the diaspora to “build bridges for a brighter future for Guyana.” The collaboration agreement, the post-signing media release said “will allow diaspora members to invest, partner, mentor, transfer knowledge, technology, and increase market expansion for members of the GMSA. “
In welcoming the formalizing of the Agreement, Nokta thanked the organization for their commitment to supporting national development and working with the Guyana private sector by helping the GMSA to connect with the network, knowledge base and expertise of overseas based Guyanese. “This partnership is coming at a time when the GMSA is accelerating its efforts to support small and micro-scale enterprises, in particular in the agriculture and agro-processing sector.
The GMSA has received plaudits previously for its successful hosting of the UNCAPPED event that allowed product promotion opportunities for small and micro enterprises in the agriculture, agro processing, beverages and cosmetics sectors.
