Guyanese companies and some from the European Union (EU) will soon team up to form a Business Chamber that will seek to push trade and investment.
EU Ambassador to Guyana, Rene Van Nes, recognised that some Guyanese businesses may find the European market “daunting” but said the new EU/Guyana Business Chamber is designed to change that.
“The Chamber will focus on strengthening the ties between the Guyanese and European business community,” Van Nes said at a Europe Day celebration held at the Georgetown Club on Tuesday night.
He said the Chamber “will facilitate European companies to set up business in Guyana, and it will support Guyanese corporates to navigate the European business landscape.”
President Irfaan Ali, in his remarks, urged Guyanese businesses to take up the challenge and he expressed hope that the EU will help Guyanese overcome any hurdles in getting into the EU market. With British Airways, he said Guyana has come a step close to closing the transportation gap, which proved to be a headache for doing business with the UK and Europe.
The President urged local businesses to look for opportunities for trade and investment in a variety of areas.
“I would say to the local private sector that there is enormous opportunity for you to look beyond the borders and to find strategic partnership – to look at strategic partnerships not only in the oil and gas sector,” President Ali stated at the same Europe Day reception.
Ambassador Van Nes pointed out that with 27 countries, the European Union is the third biggest single market in the world with almost 500 million consumers “that have an appetite for quality and sustainably produced products.”
The Ambassador noted that the European Union is also home to world-leading research institutes in agriculture, water management, life sciences and sustainable energy.
“The corporate sector in Europe is as diverse as its countries, from cheese and wine-making to world-leading electronic chip production,” Van Nes stated.
