Country needs longterm answers not band-aids
-says GMA president
Stabroek News
February 20, 2004
President of the Guyana Manufacturers' Association (GMA), Ramesh Dookhoo says there are too many shortterm band-aids when what the country really needs is long term answers.
"If we do not keep our focus as a country on how we can grow the national product in the fastest possible time, we run the risk of a continued struggle on how to share the existing relatively small national output and its accompanying social problems," he cautioned while speaking at the opening of the GMA annual dinner and award presentation held at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel on Saturday.
Dookhoo noted that there was now a solid voting structure in place in the association's framework that limited one company to one vote. "While the small and mediumterm businesses that advocated these changes were numerous, it is now incumbent upon them to show the capacity to manage an association that has been modernised..."
He said a number of subcommittees in the GMA were now mandatory and enshrined in the association's governance systems.
He said that over the past year the GMA, through the Caribbean Regional Human Resource Development Pro-ject for Economic Competi-tiveness (CPEC), continued to invest in the improvement of standards in various sectors.
For using local fruit: Demerara Distillers Ltd's (DDL) Jeff Murray (left) receiving the Guyana Manufacturers' Association award on Saturday, in recognition of DDL's use of indigenous raw materials in the manufacturing of Topco juices. Making the presentat
He pointed out that Guyana's fisheries sector made a major breakthrough when the country received its certification for export to the European Union (EU).
Two similar CPEC projects for the poultry industry aimed at improving food and safety standards and export capability were being implemented.
During the year a substantial input was made to strengthen the capacity of the Forest Products Association (FPA) and its private sector members.
Some of the key training initiatives completed were forest management and engineering, packing for export, marketing strategies and kilndrying techniques.
Dookhoo said that at the request of the engineering sector, CPEC trained 232 craftsmen from Linden and Georgetown in computeraided drawing, welding, fabrication, electrical installation, fitting and machining and foundry operations.
A significant investment was made in the upgrading of the Jewellery Training Insti-tute under the auspices of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission. Dookhoo said ten companies had been working towards ISO 9000 certification and CPEC had partnered with the Guyana National Bureau of Standards to assist in financing the process.
He added that the improvement of standards in the hospitality industry also continued during last year.
Reporting on the work of Empretec in 2003 to train entrepreneurs, Dookhoo said that during the nine months of operation, the Empretec centre had conducted five training workshops, during which 130 young entrepreneurs were trained.
Dookhoo said that the depth of the engagement between the two major political parties had impressed the GMA.
But he added that although most of the dialogue in the country was on the political situation, planning for economic development must not be neglected.
The country needed to focus on new startups like furniture, information technology, fashion designing and garment, handicraft, tourism and seafood.
In closing, Dookhoo complimented President Bharrat Jagdeo and the Private Sector Commission led by Dr Peter deGroot for being directly involved in the Investment and Small Business legislation. He said the PSC was working on a document to determine revenue lost due to smuggling. Dookhoo also remarked:
"We wish to compliment [PNCR Leader Robert Corbin] for his new approaches to problem solving as a successful country oftentimes is led by a strong government and an exemplary opposition..."