Efficient Govt service integral to manufacturing sector’s growth – Boyer

Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Eddie Boyer, said in order for the manufacturing sector to grow at the rate it should, greater efficiency in the delivery of Government services would be a major contributing factor.
He made the statement at the Annual General Meeting of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) on Wednesday. Boyer noted that the PSC and the GMSA have been working closely for the development of the sector.
He explained, in response to the ban on catfish export to the United States, that the GMSA in collaboration with the University of Hawaii embarked on two training sessions to have stakeholders examine the requirements of the US Food Safety Modernisation Act. Boyer called on the GMSA to ensure that they maintain and further develop small manufacturing businesses along with the agricultural sector, despite the focus being on the booming oil and gas sector.
“Labour is becoming more costly and if manufacturing is going to survive and grow there are numerous things that Government should address.
Among these are how do we get more efficient… some manufacturers are not paying [Value Added Tax] VAT and other taxes and this is making competition very unfair… there is a need for cheaper and reliable energy… even and fair taxation policy is needed,” Boyer noted.

Meanwhile, Minister of State Joseph Harmon said for the economy to diversify, the members of the GMSA should be more innovative in relation to the techniques and technology they apply in their production processes. He notes this is to ensure the sustainability of the raw materials, even as they seek to lower productions costs.
“It is the Government’s vision that the value or benefits derived from the oil and gas sector will be used to propel the other sectors in particular agriculture; will be used to propel our public infrastructure programme so people could travel from East to West, North to South; will be used to propel our education system so we can produce an educated population where people will be able to take up jobs in the commanding heights in the oil and gas industry,” Harmon said.
“We recognise that energy is important. We believe that the availability of cheap reliable energy supply is crucial to sustaining and improving our manufacturing capacity. The development of the energy landscape is inextricable linked to stable, reliable and affordable power supply in an environmentally sustainable manner,” he added.
Additionally, GMSA President Shyam Nokta told the AGM that US oil giant ExxonMobil has committed its support for the Association’s ‘Uncapped’ intitative.