The Guyana Trade and Investment Exhibition (Guytie) 2020 was officially launched on Wednesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Greater Georgetown with a special focus to be placed on the local arts and culture industry.
The event will be held for three days from February 13, 2020.
GUYTIE provides a platform for local businesses to engage with foreign buyers and investors and other potential partners.
The Chairman for GUYTIE and Chief Executive Officer of Go Invest, Owen Verwey said with the intention to promote business in Guyana, the exhibition will also be providing a platform for the local arts and culture industry.
“GuyTIE in 2020 will be held here at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, this offers us more flexibility with space, budget and opportunities for evening events by both exhibitors and the organizers to bring creativity to showcase some of our local arts and culture.”
“It intends to be the catalyst that assists businesses in Guyana and from Guyana, in their growth and development while at the same time encouraging national development,” Verwey said.
The Caribbean Export Development Agency provided technical and financial support to GUYTIE in 2018 and remains committed to providing assistance in 2020.
“The locally produced goods will find themselves in international markets. For this to be realized we need more than a fair trade, it will take a consorted effort from every policymaker and the private sector to ensure that local producers are able to competitively access international market,” said Minister of Business, Haimraj Rajkumar.
The Business Minister encouraged exhibitors to improve the standards of their products and to take full advantage of the opportunity that GUYTIE provides.
“GuyTIE tagline, ‘Made Locally, Trading Globally’ …this we believe captures what we wish to accomplish going forward,” the Minister said.
Damie Sinanan, the Export Promotion Manager for Caribbean Export said they have also committed to providing support to exhibitors to improve the needs of buyers.
“We will continue to provide technical support in planning GuyTIE for 2020, but we have also committed to working with the exhibitors to identify international buyers to bring to GuyTIE,” Sinanan said.
Over the next weeks and months as exhibitors sign on to GuyTIE 2020, Caribbean Export will be working closely with them to identify regional and international buyers.
Sinanan said they will then invite and provide support for the buyers to attend the exhibition.
Meanwhile, Chairman for the Private Sector Commission, Captain Gerry Gouveia said this event is exceptionally important as it is one of the tools that will transform business in the country.
Trade Commissioner at the Canadian High Commission, Anand Harrilall also spoke at the event and noted that Guytie is an opportunity for local businesses to grow and develop more customers.
GUYTIE is a partnership between the Government, the Guyana Office for Investment and the Caribbean Export Development Agency.
