An article which we propose to publish in the Stabroek Business shortly undertakes a cursory examination of the experiences of a handful of ‘new entrepreneurs’ who have sought to either pursue optional ways of earning a living given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the conventional labour market, or else, have decided to embark on new business excursions, presumably to add to their existing incomes or else, just ‘for the heck’ of undertaking a new adventure.
What appeared initially to be promising rice supply deals between local millers, Nand Persaud & Company and three external markets, including Cuba, now appear to have collapsed under the strain of what the local company says has been those markets’ failure to meet payment agreements in a timely manner.
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member countries are seeking ways of building on existing initiatives to realise improvement in their food security status even as collectively, they share a food import bill thought to be in the vicinity of around US$5 billion at this time.
A Stabroek Business Feature
If the authorities can hardly be blamed for putting a brave face on what, in many instances, has been the commendable efforts of small and micro businesses, notably those in the agriculture, craft and agro processing sectors, to ‘soak up’ the pressures of the covid-19 pandemic, we need to be mindful that we not extend this focus into the realm of the illusionary.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness wants a further extension of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) by the Group of 20 (G-20) nations for Caribbean countries as a further response to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region.
With the end of the era of the Donald Trump presidency having, up until now, done little to ease the pressure in Washington to remove the Maduro administration from office in Venezuela, Caracas would appear to be in the midst of consolidating its already close ties with Russia, Moscow having proven to be a strategic ally during the difficult years.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday March 22 made another bid to throw its lot in to respond to the global coronavirus pandemic when its executive board approved further extensions to already temporary adjustments which it had made to its lending frameworks during the early months of the pandemic.
Guyanese-born, United States-based Karen Abrams, who pioneered the introduction of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) as an integrated discipline in Guyana has been named by the prestigious Forbes Magazine amongst a group of 50 women over the age of 50 whose work, Forbes says, reflects “the full range of career and passion project paths including entrepreneurship, business ownership, non-profit and philanthropic pursuits, inspirational leadership, public service, policy conceptualization and implementation and social advocacy.”
As countries in the Caribbean confront varying degrees of pushback from recalcitrant pockets of population over adherence to strictures believed to be important in minimising the impact of COVID-19, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is warning that countries which fail to enforce strictures effectively could possibly face an acceleration of the pandemic as well as the advent of new strains of the virus.
While this is not the first time that relatively young persons have been elected to lead the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), one senses, this time around, an infusion of collective enlightenment amongst the relatively young team that has been chosen to head the Chamber in the period ahead.
GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 909’s trading results showed consideration of $892,232 from 8,749 shares traded in 7 transactions as compared to session 908’s trading results which showed consideration of $$49,098,157 from 440,723 shares traded in 20 transactions.
Head of the University of Guyana’s recently established Institute of Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UGIRIE) Professor Pat Francis says that the institution can play a novel role in creating a nexus between academia and the realization of initiatives that make ‘real life’ contributions to Guyana’s development.
The recent disclosure that the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has launched a funded programme – Women Growing Together in the Americas – which seeks to encourage women entrepreneurs in the hemisphere to integrate their businesses into foreign trade and regional value-chains, is deserving of region-wide acknowledgement.
By Jerry Haar and Deanne Butchey
Newsamericas -March 25, 2021
Many believe that oil is the magic bullet that will hit the bull’s eye of prosperity for Guyana, dramatically increasing revenue, growth, and economic development (regardless of how and where that largesse is spent).
A one-million barrel cargo of Guyana’s Liza light crude is currently on its way to India aboard a vessel chartered by the US commodity trading company, Trafigura Trading LLC, according to a news report published by the Caribbean Business Report a week ago today.
