Every year the government’s budget proposals never fail to trot out some high-sounding rhetoric intended to send political signals of a commitment to the growth of the small business sector.
Having said little in the previous months about the continual unfolding of restrictive regulations in the United States arising out of that country’s enactment of its new food safety legislation and the implications for food exports to the United States, the Government of Guyana has used its 2013 budget presentation to the National Assembly to provide the first significant indication that it is aware of the legislation and its implications.
There is an air of expectancy in the small business sector associated with the emergence of a suite of exciting support projects under the auspices of the state-run Small Business Bureau.
Up until now we have been unable to determine whether Guyana’s public or private sector will be represented at the March 20-21 Caribbean Exporters’ Colloquium at the Hilton Barbados Resort during which, according to a media release from the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), attendees “will be challenged to take an in-depth look at the report of the West Indian Commission – Time for Action – followed by an analysis of the region’s exports.”
Wherever and whenever we experience a persistent spate of robberies – whether these may target sections of the business community, private homes or citizens going about their routine business – those institutions responsible for protecting the citizenry have every right to worry.
Twice in as many weeks Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy has commented on what he perceives to be protectionist trends in intra-regional trade that are locking Guyanese products out of some regional markets.
Time was, almost four decades ago, when the slogan ‘buy local’ was commonplace in Guyana; buying local was regarded as a progressive domestic development designed to encourage Guyanese to consume more of what was produced at home primarily as a means of conserving expenditure on imported foods.
The fatigue and tedium associated with having to continually focus public attention on the problems of garbage collection and disposal in the city and its environs is outweighed only by the importance of getting on top of the problem.
All of the talk that there has been about tourism and its potential to contribute more meaningfully to the country’s economy cannot gainsay the fact that Guyana is not even remotely close to being that tropical tourist paradise which has long been highly marketed to travellers from Europe and North America.
This newspaper has, over the years, been blitzed with stories of businessmen who, for one reason or another, have been denied licences to possess firearms.
After the visit here in November by Trinidad and Tobago Food Production Minister Devant Maraj an announcement had been made to the effect that the governments of the two Caricom countries would sign a Memorandum of Understanding within a matter of days of the visit that would address the details of a collaborative food production initiative involving the two countries.
The strengthening and enforcement of penalties for late payment and non-payment of NIS contributions and the introduction of new legal measures to punish transgressors including the garnisheeing of the income and assets of non-compliant employers are among the matters on which the Eight Actuarial Review have commented.
It did not require the recent intervention of the Chief Medical Officer to make us aware of the fact that food-borne diseases are generally seriously under-reported and may well pose a serious public health threat in Guyana.
Earlier this week the Stabroek Business conducted an interview with two officials of the Forest Products Association (FPA) in order to secure a perspective on the state of the sector.
For all the public comments that have been made about the contribution that gold mining continues to make to the country’s economy, it is clear that far less attention than is warranted is being paid to the downside of the highly touted gold rush.
At the end of every year, with monotonous predictability, talks between the Government of Guyana and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) on the matter of public service wage increases enter into a condition of deadlock.
The seasonal vending that never fails to bring a period of chaos and confusion to the capital is here again.
The recent re-opening of the Guyana Shop inside the completely rebuilt premises housing the New Guyana Marketing Corporation also re-opens a modest window of opportunity for local manufacturers, particularly agro-processors, whose challenges include insufficient adequate outlets through which to market their products.
Not nearly enough public attention is paid to the Auditor General’s Report.
There are several developments in the business sector that could impact positively on local small and medium-sized enterprises.
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