Business Supplement 30-06-2021 by Guyana Chronicle

10th EDITION JUNE 30th, 2021

Bridging skills gaps in the workplace ---UG, GCCI collaborate to strengthen Guyana’s labour force See Page 2

Following in her father’s footsteps --young manager of ‘Peppy’s’ shares her vision for the company See Page 7

GMSA calls for upgraded resources for Food and Drug Department See Page 8

Essequibo entrepreneurs welcome free business development training See Page 7

GUYANA CHRONICLE BUSINESS NEWSLETTER Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Bridging skills gaps in the workplace

---UG, GCCI collaborate to strengthen Guyana’s labour force IN an effort to bridge the gap between industry and academia in Guyana, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), on Tuesday, June 29, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Guyana (UG) during a simple ceremony held at the university’s Turkeyen campus. The MoU was signed by GCCI President, Timothy Tucker, and Vice-Chancellor of UG, Dr. Paloma Mohamed Martin, on behalf of their respective organisations. Under the long-term academic collaboration agreement, the GCCI and the University of Guyana will co-operate in the areas of education, training, and research.

The university will work closely with the GCCI to provide and maintain a database of students seeking employment in the private sector, develop relevant programmes that align with industry needs and requirements, offer professional training to GCCI members, and provide research assistance through the involvement of its student and faculty. In return, the GCCI will work with its membership to provide internships and training opportunities, secure sponsorship and scholarship opportunities for students, facilitate research, and participate in guest lectures and other professional activities aimed at imparting industry knowledge and skills. Under the agreement,

the GCCI will also serve on the Advisory Board of the School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (SEBI). A statement released by the GCCI, on Tuesday, noted that GCCI acknowledges the importance of the partnership with the University of Guyana, and referred to it as “a step towards bridging skills gaps in the workplace, and strengthening Guyana’s competitiveness in a rapidly changing world.” The GCCI also expressed eagerness and willingness to work closely with the educational institution to prepare a skilled workforce for the country, and further promote innovation and entrepreneurship among Guyanese youth.

(From left) Executive Director of GCCI, Richard Rambarran; GCCI’s President, Timothy Tucker; Vice-Chancellor of UG, Dr. Paloma Mohamed Martin, and Dean of the UG School of Entrepreneurship & Business Innovation, Dr. Leyland Lucas

GUYANA CHRONICLE BUSINESS NEWSLETTER Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Essequibo entrepreneurs welcome free business development training

By Indrawattie Natram

THE owners of several Region Two businesses are currently participating in a two-day business development workshop during which they will learn about the exporting process, accessing loans and how to package and market their products. The workshop which was organised by Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest), the Small Business Bureau, Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) and the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC), is being held in the regional vice-chairman’s boardroom. The training commenced on Tuesday, June 29 and is slated to conclude on Wednesday, June 30. During the first day, Senior Export Promotion Officer, Kibbyann Chester Harding, educated business owners about the mandate of Go-Invest and the exporting process. In explaining the procedure involved in exporting, she told the participants that step one begins with the registration of the business. The exporter is then required to have a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), she said. According to the Go-Invest official, the next step is to identify the source of the product or products being exported. She advised exporters to always

Business owners paying keen attention during one of the presentations

consider where a steady supply of product could be sourced from, beforehand. Harding indicated that the next step which is Step 4 involves the identification of external markets, packaging requirements, the acquisition of the appropriate licence, identification of the mode of transport, whether air or sea. The final two steps in the pro-

cess involve the identification of a broker followed by the exporting of the product. She assured the business owners that the Guyana Office for Investment will always be available to give them the necessary advice and guidance. Harding emphasised that Guyana is an excellent jurisdiction for investors. She outlined that the country is known

as a business-friendly destination as there is a wide range of incentives and protections for foreign and local investors. Meanwhile, Director of Investment, Samora Watkins, during one of the presentations showed the business owners how to put together a business proposal. There was particular focus on the executive summary, description of the compa-

ny, description of ownership, management and organisation, local content plan, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plan, breakdown of products and services, environmental impact, market analysis, competitive analysis, marketing plan, sales plan, project timeline, financials and items for future and tax waivers.

Assistant Agriculture Development Officer at the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC), Amit Parbat, focused on packaging and labelling. He emphasised that it is important that products are properly labelled and packaged whenever leaving Guyana or even when they are being marketed locally. He also told business owners that GMC will provide whatever assistance is necessary to make their businesses a success. General standards in packaging and accessing loans and grants through the Small Business Bureau, is on the agenda for today’s session. All of the participants are members of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECCI). The training which is free of cost, was organised following a request made by the ECCI to Go-Invest. The owner of Miracle Oils, Tatyana Moore, told the Guyana Chronicle that the training thus far has been very educational and she is happy that she decided to participate. She said she has learnt many new things and as the owner of a thriving business, she plans to practise what she has learnt from the training. Research and Advocacy Officer at Go-Invest, June Ann Kowlessar, is among the officials at the workshop.

Following in her father’s footsteps --young manager of ‘Peppy’s’ shares her vision for the company

FROM the time she completed her CSEC examinations to now, 24-year-old Saleema Mohammed has played an integral role in the management of her father’s business, Peppy’s. She recalls “helping out” her father with key aspects of the business when she was younger, and learning the details of the business so that she could assist in its management when she grew older. Now, fulfilling that responsibility, Saleema assists in the management of the business, under the guidance of her father. Peppy’s, formerly known as Mohammed’s Manufacturing Enterprise, was established in 1971 by the then 21-year-old Khalil Mohammed, as a small factory in Sussex Street, Albouystown. At that time, the company

was producing chowmein, and subsequently vermicelli noodles. They were the first modern noodle manufacturer to break into the Linden market. However, due to a fire that broke out in 1976, the uninsured Sussex Street business premises was completely destroyed. “It wasn’t easy… After the factory had burned down, he had to start all over again from scratch. I remember him telling me that he had went to Desmond Hoyte, who was a member of government at the time, and he had helped him, financially, to start his business again,” she recalled. Through the support and assistance of the government, Mohammed was able to begin rebuilding his business again, at their Lusignan location. Changing the name of the business to Peppy’s some 22

years ago was largely inspired by the fact that Mohammed’s son was nicknamed ‘Peppy.’ It was part of the founder’s initiative to rebrand and mod-

ernise the image of the company, while integrating his son into the enterprise. This change, Saleema has said, helped boost sales throughout those years.

“After that, I think he started to see his way. He got more developed, and as he went on and on, he continued to improve,” she said. Her father opined that the success of the company is owed to its ability to stay abreast with changing demands and to strategically add new commodities to its production line. Saleema noted that Peppy’s currently manufactures a wide variety of products, including sauces, spices, seasonings, flours, noodles, vinegar, and similar products. “Currently, we’re moving to our new location in Triumph. We had everything in different locations after we left Lusignan, so now we want everything under one roof,” she related. The firm acquires most of its herbs and spices from its own farm, an establishment called

Jaskasa Farm situated at Canal Number Two. Khalil said that the firm’s ability to “control” the process from the farm to manufacturing ensures that it is aware of the quality of its products. The company’s main goal, aside from creating employment, is manufacturing quality products in order to satisfy consumers. Currently, said Saleema, Peppy’s distributes products throughout Guyana and the CARICOM region. Their company’s focus is on constantly raising their production levels and improving the quality of service delivery, as well as global health and safety standards, to attain ISO certification. Aside from the CARICOM region, the company exports to Canada and the United States of America.

GUYANA CHRONICLE BUSINESS NEWSLETTER Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Private sector officials visit GPF’s Security Command Centre CHAIRMAN of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Paul Cheong, on Monday last, led a delegation from the commission on a visit to the Guyana Police Force’s Security Command Centre where they were given a first-hand experience of the force’s crime-fighting capabilities. According to the PSC, the tour of the facility was conducted by Commissioner of Police (ag) Nigel Hoppie. Also present during the visit were National Security Adviser, Captain Gerry Gouveia; Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum; Superintendent Singh, and other police officials. Accompanying Cheong were Vice-Chairman of the PSC, Krishnand Jaichand; Chairman of the Governance & Security Sub-Committee of the PSC, Retired Major General, Norman McLean; President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI), Timothy Tucker; Ryan Alexander, and other members of the PSC. The discussions between the stakeholders focussed primarily on the role of the command centre in combatting crime around the country. Superintendent Singh told the gathering that the centre

was operationalised to support the crime prevention and investigative capabilities of the Guyana Police Force. The centre currently boasts several mounted television camera monitors that are used to trace incidents and to link these with ambulances, fire service, and police service responses. Commissioner (ag) Hoppie highlighted that the command centre has strengthened not only the forensic and criminal investigative techniques of the force, but also its capacity in crime detection, through the use and application of several cameras around the country. He said too that ranks are undergoing continuous training to ensure the effective functioning of the centre. Other critical issues discussed were robberies around Georgetown, traffic violations, police training, protection of businesses, crime-fighting capabilities and areas for collaboration between the Guyana Police Force and the private sector. The PSC noted that it endorses and commends the efforts of the Guyana Police Force and reaffirmed its commitment to collaborate to advance peace and security in Guyana.

The delegation from the PSC being briefed on the operations of the Guyana Police Force’s Security Command Centre

PROMPTED by the i n c re a s e d a c t i v i t y and opportunities in Guyana due to the country now being an oil producer and the associated increased movement of people with their accompanying requirements, preferences and expectations, the role of the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GAFDD) has become even more critical in ensuring the safety and/or effectiveness of food,

drugs and cosmetics used in Guyana. As a result, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) has advised that the GA-FDD be upgraded with the necessary resources, including suitable administrative and testing facilities, to implement relevant and updated regulations. According to a statement released by the GMSA, the association is concerned with recent attempts to import

food, drugs and cosmetics into Guyana, circumventing applicable food and drug regulations, especially regarding labelling and shelf-life/expiry dates. The organisation acknowledged that these regulations are authorised by the Food and Drug Act, and are in place to protect the public health of all Guyanese, while ensuring safety and effectiveness when using imported products. However, they noted

Commissioner of Police (ag) Nigel Hoppie and others share a light moment during the Private Sector Commission (PSC)’s visit to the Guyana Police Force’s Security Command Centre

GMSA calls for upgraded resources for Food and Drug Department that the consumption or application of expired food, drugs and cosmetics, as well as the inappropriate use of insufficiently labelled or mislabelled items, can make items ineffective, dangerous, or even lethal. As such, the GMSA has expressed its willingness to support the GA-FDD in fulfilling its mandate to enforce these regulations, and has called on all importers to meet the regulatory requirements for

importing these items. They further cautioned importers and their agents to desist from attempting to apply pressure to the GAFDD through social media and other means, to bypass these regulations. The GMSA advised against interference in this regulatory body that has to be independently focussed and execute its mandate with integrity. The GA-FDD’s aim is to provide leader-

ship and institutional capacity to initiate, advocate and promote programmes and policies for the development and growth of the manufacturing and related services sectors, as well as the capacity for international competitiveness of all affiliated businesses through professional services, excellent business ethics and due regard for human rights and protection of the environment.