Business Minister stresses importance of regional expositions

Aug 27, 2017 News

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…as 13th edition of Berbice event launched

By Malisa Playter Harry

Berbicians will be treated to four days of entertainment and display of local and international products in October with another presentation of the Berbice Expo and Trade Fair.

The expo, in its 13th year, was officially launched on Wednesday evening under the theme ‘Ensuring Food Security and Economic Growth through Agricultural Development’.
At the launching ceremony held at the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce building in Rose Hall Town, Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin, in brief remarks, stressed on the importance of regional expositions. He is of the firm belief that with regional expositions, greater economic opportunities and avenues are provided.
He opined that with Business and Government in collaboration it is “always a good thing, it builds investors’ confidence… and the relationship between the government and private sector needs to continue”.
Gaskin , touching on developments within the oil and gas sector, stated that while oil will be beneficial to Guyana’s economy, it is also important that the country does not solely depend on that alone, making reference to the sugar industry when Guyana was dependent on that particular commodity as the only medium to sustainable development within the country.
“GuySuCo is not the answer to Guyana’s economic development. We want to survive as an economy and become a competitive local economy, which I think we have the potential to become. We must be able to have a diverse portfolio of export industries”, the Minister emphasised.
In addition, he posited that the government will work with private enterprises to ensure that there are options and opportunities for economic advancement other than sugar.
“While there are concerns about the future of GuySuCo, I’m saying to you, there are other options”, said Gaskin.
The Minister also mentioned other projects in the pipeline that will add to the economic advancement of the country, including the introduction of a agro-processing and food festival called “Uncapped”. This, he noted, will be a collaboration between the Manufacturing and Services Association and the Ministry of Business.
The aim of the project, he explained, will be to “bring together producers and processors, products and buyers, in order to boost awareness and consumption of what we produce locally”. The Ministry of Business will also be embarking on another major event called the ‘Guyana Trade and Investment Exhibition’
“This is the kind of event we want to be holding, and this is one of the reasons why we have no Guy Expo this year. It’s a business to business event and is designed to bring together local producers and foreign buyers,” Gaskin explained. This will take shape in April of next year.
He said the ministry will have to identify local businesses that are “expo ready” and work with them to prepare them to network with overseas buyers.
“We thought that this type of event would be better for our economic transformation that we would like to happen in Guyana. This is how Guyana is going to become strong and our industries are going to become better,” Gaskin asserted.
Meanwhile President of the Central Corentyne Chambers of Commerce and businessman, Mohamed Raffik, during his presentation, stated that the chamber is looking at and placing much emphasis on the region’s vast agricultural potential. He stressed that while the country is likely to have oil in year 2020, “the nation must not only depend solely on the discovery on oil, but must continue to place emphasis on continuously developing the agriculture sector in the country”.
Raffik underscored that the main crops such as rice and sugar have not been doing well, hence it is necessary to look at other ways to ensure that the region’s agricultural abilities are taken advantage of. He said with the exception of Black Bush Polder, there has been no other new major “agricultural scheme in Berbice.
“We can grow citrus, we can grow other crops, we can have much more lands for cattle rearing and other livestock rearing etc.”
Raffik said that while the chamber would be willing to offer support, they cannot do it by themselves, and as such, government’s assistance is important and necessary.
The chamber president explained that last year an average of 20,000 persons attended the Berbice Expo and Trade Fair over the four-night period.
“Businessmen and women are encouraged to acknowledge and understand a trade fair of such a magnitude can benefit them and come up with innovative ways to market their products. We are calling on all the business owners in Berbice and corporate Guyana to come and join us and let us make this expo one that you can market yourselves a bit more aggressively.”
Indranauth Haralsingh, Director of Guyana Tourism Authority, during his address called for a “dedicated location” to host the annual exposition and trade fair, with years of success under the Chambers belt in hosting the event.
“It is only fair that a dedicated piece of land be designated for this purpose”, he stressed.
“This expo is a major event. It promotes, in a large way, domestic tourism. The increase in visitors to Berbice is very, very visible around the time of the expo, it helps with the economy on the Corentyne,” Haralsingh stated.
He also pointed out that more events of a similar nature need to be held in Berbice, so as to attract persons from other parts of the country, as well as overseas investors, to come and invest within the region.
Meanwhile, Regional Chairman of Region Six, David Armogan took the opportunity to highlight the plight persons are currently experiencing with the closure of several sugar estates and soon to be closed estates in Berbice.
“Our businesses in Region Six have declined by over 25% in terms of sales, and we have seen many businesses laying off workers.”
He stressed that once the Rose Hall Estate is officially closed, “the region will have less income in Berbice’s economy, which is not a good sign”. He called on government to use better judgement and delay the closure of the Rose Hall Estate.
“As much as we are going into an exposition and trade fair, there is need for expansion in the business sector; there is need for more employment and this can only come when our confidence begins to grow and businesses should begin to gain”.
Armogan reminded the gathering that the Berbice Expo and Trade Fair is a much anticipated occasion.
“It is perhaps the single largest event that is taking place on an annual basis in this region”.
He then congratulated the chambers for upholding the commitment they’ve shown over the years to host such an affair.
The Berbice Expo and Trade Fair 2017 will be held at the Albion Sports Complex from Friday October, 6 to Monday October, 9. Stage, sound and lights will be provided by Crown Vibes Sound Company. Tickets to enter the expo will cost $500 for adults and $300 for children. Security, which will be headed by the Commander of ‘B’ Division Paul Williams, is promised to be at its highest level.

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