Businessmen urged to meet needs of working people
By Michelle Elphage
LOCAL entrepreneurs were challenged to meet the needs of people within their budgets, when the National Bank of Industry and Commerce (NBIC) together with chartered accountants Ram and McRae launched an award scheme for businesses. Prime Minister Sam Hinds, who launched the Entrepreneur Of the Year (EOY) Award programme, Thursday evening at Le Meridien Pegasus hotel said everything must start with being more productive. "We must find ways to move our people's view that focuses on how we could change the distribution of the very small cake, the very low GDP (Gross Domestic Product or growth) in Guyana. We have to shift their focus from that to a focus on producing more," the Prime Minister told the gathering of mostly private sector representatives and diplomats. Entrepreneurs must start, particularly from "our people, where they are, what are their capabilities." He said the EOY programme is timely, since the issue of low income level is never "far from us in Guyana." Acting General Manager of NBIC, Mr Robert Norstrom said he hoped the EOY programme could do for Guyana what it did for Trinidad and Tobago. "What this programme did in Trinidad and Tobago was raise national awareness of hardworking, innovative business in that country and bring a new level of energy into the entrepreneurial community that we have not previously seen," Norstrom said. "This is because the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards did what no other programme had done before. It looked at business and businessmen who were breaking totally new ground, creating jobs and contributing to the country's national income and changing the face of the commercial landscape - and what we did was say to them an earnest `Thank you'." According to the Bank Manager, "these are difficult economic times" for the Caribbean and businesses have to face new challenges even before they have learnt to deal with the old ones. "While Guyana continues to experience economic challenges in the face of serious political and economic constraints, the entrepreneurial community needs to know in a concrete and public way that they are being supported and that their efforts at building commercial life, and by extension, national life in Guyana are appreciated," Norstrom added. "Our desire is that it (EOY Award scheme) will bring new levels of vitality and innovation in Guyana's commercial life. Unemployment remains a serious concern for all stakeholders of Guyana and it is hoped that these awards will give more of our nationals the inspiration and incentive to make a proud, new way forward for themselves and in so doing contribute to improving the employment environment." He urged that women entrepreneurs, who often opt to stay out of the limelight, should not hesitate to come forward under this programme. The EOY programme which started in the United States (US) through the Ernst and Young accounting firm, twelve years ago, came to the Caribbean in 1996, through Barbados, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), and the Bahamas. Trinidad and Tobago joined in 1997, and its candidate, Mr Wilbur Balgobin of Willy's Ice Cream, was named the overall EOY winner for that year. Guyana and Grenada are joining the programme this year. "We feel certain that the wealth of entrepreneurial talent that exists in these countries will raise the programme to even new heights and make the judges' deliberations even more difficult," Ms Angela Persad, coordinator of the EOY programme in the Caribbean said at the launching. She explained that for one to qualify for the EOY Award, the entrepreneur must be an owner-manager who is primarily responsible for the recent performance of his or her business, and the business must be at least two years old. "The judges are looking for an outstanding individual who has achieved tremendous success in business not only evidenced by financial performance, but also by the sound business practices and the integrity and responsibility displayed by his or her social and community contribution," Persad said. "Preference will be given to those entrepreneurs who have grown their business over the years by the use of innovative measures which surmounted industry challenges and obstacles." She said this year, competitors will be judged in five categories, even though judges will be allowed to use their discretion based on the entries received. The categories are: * oil and petrochemical services * manufacturing and food processing * services, retail and distribution * tourism/hospitality * emerging entrepreneur Anyone can nominate an entrepreneur, or persons are free to nominate themselves, Persad added. Response cards will be available at the NBIC from Monday, and persons can uplift them, fill them out and return it to the Bank or the offices of Ram & McRae. An independent panel of judges comprising various business leaders in Trinidad, Grenada and Guyana will select three finalists in each category from the participants in each country. The winners for each country and the overall winner will be announced in October at a gala banquet in Trinidad. Meanwhile, Persad announced that plans are on stream to launch a Regional EOY programme, EOY2K, which will comprise finalists from Trinidad, Guyana, Grenada, Barbados, OECS countries, Jamaica and the Bahamas. 
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