Prominent Attorney Devindra Kissoon was on Wednesday elected, unopposed and uncontested, as the new President of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) Guyana.
Also appointed during the Chamber’s Third Annual General Meeting (AGM) were Iman Cummings, Shyam Nokta and Edwardo Repele as Vice Presidents.
Along with several other persons who will serve on the new Executive and Board is Fitzroy McCloud who will be returning as the Treasurer.
Kissoon received congratulatory greetings from President Irfaan Ali and United States Ambassador to Guyana Sarah Ann Lynch who both joined the Chamber for its AGM at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).
But accompanying the Head-of-State’s congratulatory message was a challenge to Kissoon who, Dr. Ali said, served as his lawyer in the past.
The President said AMCHAM must be at the forefront of ensuring Guyana’s Catfish and Gilbacker get back into the US market and challenged Kissoon to ensure that at least one of Guyana’s agro-processing facilities gets FDA approval within the next year.
Dr. Ali urged Kissoon to be aggressive in his work to get Guyanese businesses into the U.S market.
With Kissoon’s predecessor Zulfikar Ally securing a diplomatic post to Washington D.C (Deputy Chief of Mission), Dr. Ali said there should be no barriers now to representing Guyana’s interest in the United States.
Kissoon is the founding member of London House Chambers, and has been routinely ranked by Chambers and Partners as one of the most accomplished lawyers in Guyana.
He has handled the largest capital markets transaction in Guyana and most recently represented
Morgan Stanley and Bank of America in a US$300,000,000 private bond issuance secured in Guyana. He was responsible for the liberalization of the Telecommunications industry in Guyana and is currently working on some of the Guyana’s most sophisticated commercial transactions
In his first speech since being elected as AMCHAM’s President, Kissoon said since the launching of the Chamber in 2018, it has firmly established itself as a key and leading private sector organization that continues to foster mutually beneficial trade and commercial relationships between the United States and Guyana.
He assured that under his presidency AMCHAM is ready and able to play a pivotal role.
“We will continue to take our fiduciary role seriously, to provide our members with the highest possible service in promoting trade and investment, business development services, continued representation, and efforts to improve the local business climate.
“During my tenure as President, the Chamber will increase focus on attracting foreign investment to Guyana, increase joint ventures between Guyanese and American firms, increase AmCham’s civil society role and work with the relevant authorities in bolstering our legal system to increase efficiency and enforcement of contracts as well as general improvement in the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Rankings,” he said.
Ally also delivered brief remarks, listing among the Chamber’s major achievements since its launch to be:
- Facilitating US Companies entrance into Guyana and promoting joint ventures;
- Supporting democracy; and
- Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility.
- Diversity and Inclusion
