From left are Ramdial Bhookmohan, Muntaz Ali, Derrick Cummings and Fred Sukhdeo.
The National Association of Regional Chambers of Commerce (ARCC) is investing in human resource development while pushing advocacy and lobbying initiatives for social and national development.
This was among several statements made at the ARCC press conference held last week at the Peppers Club, Water Chris Hotel, on Waterloo Street.
President of the ARCC Muntaz Ali read a press statement reviewing the association's current activities and programme of work for the upcoming period. The ARCC held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) yesterday under the theme "Intensifying Advocacy Initiatives for a Vibrant Private Sector and Civil Society". The body's membership consists of ten regional chambers totalling 500 large, small, medium and micro businesses.
The ARCC, formed three years ago, plans to push innovative advocacy and lobbying initiatives to allow the "voices of the powerless and less fortunate" to be heard and addressed seriously by decision-makers. This move accords with ARCC's stated belief that real power rests in the hands of the thousands of Guyanese workers, farmers, artisans, small and medium businessmen, women and youth of urban and rural communities who collectively can organise for change.
The association has already begun to provide a medium for this through assistance from USAID's Washington-based Capable Partners (CAP) Programme, and is one of sixteen international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) taking part in their first initiative Advocacy Fellows Programme.
And Derrick Cummings, Vice President of the West Demerara and Essequibo Islands Chamber of Com-merce, and Immediate Past Secretary and an executive member of ARCC, recently concluded Session A of the "Advocacy for Key Policies and Improved Enabling Environment" held in Accra, Ghana. The programme runs for 18 months and includes institutional strengthening for the ARCC and several of its regional Chambers of Commerce.
According to its statement, the ARCC proposes to play a more meaningful role as change agents in economic, social and cultural development of Guyana, and intends to work along with other NGOs such as the Private Sector Commission (PSC), the Guyana Manufacturers' Association (GMA) and the NGO forum.
The association's president outlined some of the advocacy activities the ARCC has being engaging in recently: lobbying regional administrations and central government on matters facing respective regions such as transportation, health and technical education, security, drainage and irrigation among others.
It also organised a 77-man self-funded trade mission to Brazil in January 2002, which has widened trade between the two countries; compiled and distributed 450 business profiles for trade and investment for the benefit of its membership; and organised a one-day shutdown of businesses across Guyana on October 2002 to draw the attention of decision-makers to the state of crime in the country.
Ali also reported that the regional chambers have been very active, outside of normal commercial and business activities, in lobbying, pointing to mobilisation of a wide cross-section of the Berbice business community by the Berbice and Corentyne Chambers to encourage government to go forward on the construction of the Berbice River Bridge. They were also in the forefront of an anti-crime campaign.
Construction of the Parika Market was advocated by the West Demerara/Essequibo Islands Chamber, while the Linden Chamber continued its active involvement in LEAP (Linden Economic Advance-ment Project) and monitoring of developments in the bauxite industry.
Other advocacy work was spearheaded by the Rupununi Chamber for improved electricity, as well as the construction of an all-weather road to stimulate trade and tourism.
Ali also noted that in December last year, the ARCC received a state-of-the-art computer system from the USAID/GEO project and this has contributed to improving the networking capability of association.