Business

The threat of major fires is an ever-present challenge to Guyana’s urban business community and both the Guyana Fire Service and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry have told Stabroek Business that they are committed to working with business houses and with other agencies responsible for aspects of the administration of buildings in order to reduce that risk.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 384’s trading results showed consideration of $595,143 from 21,547 shares traded in 8 transactions as compared to session 383 which showed consideration of $467,157 from 32,376 shares traded in 10 transactions. 

With the advent of its new low-energy system, Starr Computers has begun to shift the focus of its operations to manufacturing and export and is targeting the border regions of Brazil and Suriname as key potential markets, its Director Michael Mohan told Stabroek Business in an interview on Tuesday.

Efforts by the Securities Commission and the Guyana Association of Securities Companies and Intermediaries Inc (GASCI), commonly referred to as the Stock Exchange to generate enhanced public interest in capital markets are designed to open up potentially lucrative avenues for investments and savings, according to GASCI General Manager George Edwards.

Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud has said that Guyana’s ambition of creating a strong agro-business sector is unlikely to be realized in circumstances where high electricity costs account for the lion’s share of overall operating costs.

Benefit The rank of 104 would have looked much different if the architects of the 2010 Human Development Index (HDI) had kept the population of countries from its previous reports.

Hardat ‘Ravi’ Muniram is a 37-year-old, 18-year veteran of the jewellery industry who, two weeks ago, took a giant step in the direction of expanding his enterprise.

The Water Street Vendors Mall was quiet when Stabroek Business visited on Wednesday.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 383’s trading results showed consideration of $467,157 from 32,376 shares traded in 10 transactions as compared to session 382 which showed consideration of $1,633,200 from 18,200 shares traded in 6 transactions. 

Guyana could clear a critical hurdle to major commercial bank lending and large scale private sector investment in the country’s agriculture sector if proposals submitted by the government to the Caribbean Catastro-phe Risk Management Facility (CCRIF) for endorsement of a countrywide excess rainfall crop insurance model for Guyana secure the facility’s promised year-end approval, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud told Stabroek Business in an interview earlier this week.

The disclosure earlier this month that two of the United States’ largest beverage and nutritional products’ businesses have signed a joint agreement to develop and market a range of coconut water products may be just the incentive Guyana’s coconut industry needs to consolidate its recent significant export marketing success.

A viable agro processing industry in Guyana is likely to remain elusive unless there is a cheaper more reliable energy source, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud has said.

Part of the reason for local investor indifference to the agriculture sector has to do with the absence of risk management mechanisms in the sector.

Official Trade Gold prices have been setting nominal records in 2010 as prices moved from US$1,148 in April to over US$1,400 in November. 

Officials of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) are to meet late next week with the Customs and Trade Administration (CTA) to discuss a menu of measures aimed at ensuring that such bottlenecks as may exist to the timely and efficient clearance of goods imported for the local market to meet the seasonal demand.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 382’s trading results showed consideration of $1,633,200 from 18,200 shares traded in 6 transactions as compared to session 381 which showed consideration of $1,043,699 from 36,643 shares traded in 13 transactions. 

“A significant amount of overpayments” to private contractors recruited to undertake works on behalf of state agencies, breaches of Stores Regulations, failure by Ministerial Tender Boards to comply with the requirements of the Procurement Act (2003) and a preponderance of “bogus” receipts and vouchers documented in the Auditor General’s 2009 Report point to “possible collusion between private contractors and people in government agencies” to defraud the public treasury, according to an Audit Office source.

A Canadian consultant with more than 40 years experience in the international wine-making industry has praised the efforts of local wine-maker Warren Douglas and his Pandama brand, describing the wines manufactured from a range of local fruit as “having the potential to be world class” products.