US-Based Commerce Group Pushes For World Trade Centre In Guyana

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, February 18, 2020 (CMC) – Efforts are being made for the establishment of a World Trade Centre, here, by the end of 2020.

According to the Florida-headquartered, Guyanese American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) that has initiated efforts to set up a World Trade Center, the country can benefit “tremendously from such an institution”.

In a recent release , the Chamber said that the president of the World Trade Development Group, John Dickson, has been having talks, in Guyana, with the relevant authorities.

The release said that he has had meetings with several persons, including Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman; Foreign Secretary, Carl Greenidge; and Special Political Adviser to the President, Dr. Mark Kirton .

“Guyana has now emerged as a major player in global business, with its oil and gas discoveries. Oil can be a curse if not managed well, and an important requirement is that resources be directed to other sectors, like manufacturing, especially light manufacturing, agriculture and agribusiness, tourism and the creative industries, among others. These are sectors that offer opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises to develop, and here is where a World Trade Center in Guyana can be used as a tool, to help these enterprises grow through the creation of linkages to assist with market access,” Dickson said, during his meetings.

The World Trade Center Association (WTCA) does not license a center in a city and country, based merely on the financial capacity of the licensee, but takes into account the reputation, global reach and capacity to fashion a menu of programs and activities relative to the needs of the economy and its small and medium size enterprises, he said.

Among the critical activities of a center, he pointed out, should be hands-on training for business students and small entrepreneurs, the provision and explanation of laws and regulations and the hosting of incubation workshops.

“I am very impressed with the people with whom I have interacted, and am thankful to the Guyanese American Chamber for having invited me and for the meetings it has arranged. Guyana has leap-frogged onto the global business stage and it is important that the opportunities be taken advantage of, for all sections of the society. The big businesses really don’t need the tools, which a world trade center provides. They already have within them various departments that take care of what they need,” Dickson added.

Dickson said that while governments are not usually license holders, they need to provide a letter of support for the center. 

He added that regardless of which party forms the government, following the upcoming general election, the government would support a world trade centre in Guyana. World Trade Centers play a role in the promotion and realization of trade and investment in the economies of cities and countries, especially for the benefit of small and medium size enterprises. There are more than 300 World Trade Centers in over 100 countries around the world.