Minister Gaskin calls on small businesses to produce quality products

DPI/GINA, GUYANA, Thursday, June 29, 2017

Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin is urging small businesses to pay attention to “small details” that will encourage persons to buy local products. The Minister was at the time addressing the fourth Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Small Business Development Finance Trust Incorporated (SBDF) at the Regency Hotel, recently.

The Minister noted that the government recognises that persons are more inclined to buy imported goods because of the vast difference in quality and packaging, compared to the locally produced products. Minister Gaskin urged the Small Businesses to start, “paying keen attention to small details, which will give small businesses advantages, and more persons (will be) inclined to buy their local goods instead of foreign products.

Minister Gaskin pointed out that the Small Business Bureau can give guidance on standards and technical support. He encouraged the small business owners to get the necessary guidance from the Small Business Bureau. “The Small Business Bureau can offer some guidance when it comes to agriculture, value added products and agro processing. You can receive guidance from the Small Business Bureau in that area in terms of various standards, the labeling standards and the technical aspects of production,” the minister explained.

The Minister is also encouraging Guyanese to be more supportive of local businesses. He stated that, “I think if we all work on this and if we learn to consume a little more responsibly and sustainably then we can work our way out of the current situation, and support our local businesses and local producers to the extent that they can grow and reach their potential, and enjoy the economies of scale that that will allow them to be more competitive and be able to enter exports markets”.

Minister Gaskin reiterated that producing and buying locally can play a critical role in developing Guyana’s economy. Despite efforts to encourage buying locally produced products, he noted consumers have shown a preference for foreign products.

The buy local initiative is also being encouraged by President David Granger. During his weekly programme ‘Public Interest’ in January of this year,  had said that he is convinced that Guyana could produce virtually every commodity that is required in the hospitality industries in the Eastern Caribbean.

“Every egg, every avocado pear, every fish, every Pak choi, bora anything that we want, tomatoes, (can be produced right here)”, President Granger stated. According to President Granger, the government needs to encourage the population to understand that there are lots of healthy foods, produced right here in Guyana.

 

By: Isaiah Braithwaite