GuyTIE 2020 participants benefit from capacity building workshops

Last Updated on Monday, 24 February 2020, 12:23 by Writer

Over 50 businesses participating in the upcoming Guyana Trade and Investment Exhibition (GuyTIE) 2020 scheduled for May, 2020, benefitted from capacity-building sessions in the key areas of trade facilitation and corporate social responsibility (CSR) over the course of three days. CSR is a self-regulating business model that helps a company be socially accountable—to itself, its stakeholders, and the public. CSR helps to build corporate citizenship.

The sessions were organised by the GuyTIE Steering Committee in partnership with the Canadian Executive Services Organisation (CESO) and the Canadian High Commission, and were held February 17-19, 2020 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Liliendaal.

GuyTIE Coordinator, Ms Tameca Sukhdeo-Singh explained that the sessions are intended to help participants understand the requirements for the export market and improve trade relations. The workshops also helped to prepare the participants for more impactful involvement in GuyTIE 2020.

“These were very interactive sessions; the participants were able to examine what they are doing, learn from what they are doing, how they can improve it, what they can do to enhance and support what they are doing,” Ms. Sukhdeo-Singh was quoted as saying in a news release by organisers.

She added that the Committee plans to facilitate more training sessions in the run-up to GuyTIE.

One of the facilitators was Mr Robert (Bob) Carreau, an environmental scientist who provided training on CSR. Mr Carreau has more than 35 years of international mining experience.

“It’s an exciting time for Guyana right now with the discovery of oil and the beginning of production,” he said, adding, “there’s a lot of opportunities for small and medium businesses—as we talked about during the course—how you change development, how you change the social structure, the economic structures.”

Meanwhile, Ms Margaret Steeves, who served in the Ontario Government as Director of Marketing in the Ministry of Economic Development and International Trade, was the facilitator on building business relationships and business growth.

“The items that we covered in the workshop include building your relationships, first impressions, business planning, exporting, getting ready to export, preparing an export plan,” she said.

Ms Steeves also provided valuable information on how to effectively participate in tradeshows.

Participants said the workshops provided useful information which can help their businesses.

Mr Daniel Sugrim of Action Invest Caribbean Inc noted that his company’s decision to participate in the training stemmed from the intent to enhance its CSR performance.

“All of our clients engage in some form of Corporate Social Responsibility. The reason why we chose to participate is to build that relationship and look at ways in which we can now develop our Corporate Social Responsibility as a good corporate citizen,” he explained.

He described the training as informative and interactive.

Ms. Simone Peters of Ann’s Bakery noted that the workshop was enlightening and empowering. She assured that she will apply the knowledge she garnered to prepare her booth for GuyTIE 2020.

Certificates of participation were distributed at the end of the training.

GuyTIE 2020 is being organised by the Ministry of Business in collaboration with Caribbean Export Development Agency, the Guyana Office for Investment, Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association, Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Guyana Marketing Corporation, Private Sector Commission, Guyana Undiscovered, Small Business Bureau, and the National Exhibition Centre.