Guyanese companies must get into British markets – Dr Ramsaroop

…as some 40 local businesses prepare for BritCham’s networking event in London

As Guyanese companies prepare to head to London for the British Chamber of Commerce Guyana’s (BritCham Guyana) annual Business Forum and Networking Event next month, local businesses are being urged to look beyond just forming partnerships and work to secure markets for their products and services in the United Kingdom (UK).

This charge came from Guyana’s Chief Investment Officer, Dr Peter Ramsaroop, during a press conference held in Georgetown on Friday ahead of BritCham’s premier networking event that will see over 350 influential Guyanese and UK-based business owners, investors, and decision-makers across various fields, including oil and gas, telecommunications, banking, ICT, education, aviation, tourism, and finance.
Ramsaroop lauded the Chamber for serving as a bridge between the business communities of Guyana and the UK at a time when investment opportunities are abundant here, given the country’s rapid and unprecedented economic transformation.

He noted that events such as the BritCham engagement present a platform for Guyanese companies to go beyond just collaborating with UK companies. “I want to make sure Guyanese businesses understand this is not just about looking for partnerships with British companies coming to Guyana, but we need to enter the British market. How do we produce our goods for the London market? How do we send our skill sets and what we do well in Guyana to Great Britain? That would be the added value going forward, that as we build partnerships, it’s not just about them coming into Guyana, but we want to access their markets,” he posited.
According to the Head of the Guyana Office for Investment, these are opportunities that small producers, like those in the agro-processing sector, should seize. In fact, he noted that the Guyana Government is currently working with the Chamber to ascertain whether a delegation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could be facilitated to attend the networking event in London.
“We are working with BritCham to see if smaller businesses want to go, especially since we’ve been emphasising the export side. There are great Guyanese products that should be on the shelves in any supermarket in London or elsewhere. We know rum is already there. So, we’re evaluating how best to approach those businesses attending the event and what would be most beneficial to increase trade,” Ramsaroop told the Guyana Times.
Meanwhile, during Friday’s press conference at the Chamber’s Office located at the Pegasus Suites & Corporate Center in Georgetown, Chairman of BritCham Faizal Khan disclosed that at least 40 Guyanese businesses have either already signed up or expressed interest in attending the networking event in London on Thursday, November 6.
“At the moment, it seems we have close to 40 Guyanese businesses that have confirmed attendance. So, we’re in communication with them. Not all of those 40 have purchased their tickets yet, but they are in the process of doing so. I think the number is also similarly growing in the UK,” Khan told this newspaper on Friday.
Among the local companies and organisations that have already confirmed their attendance are Demerara Bank Limited, Beharry Group of Companies, KPMG, One Communications, ENet, Nations University, Guysons Oil and Gas, ExxonMobil Guyana, Guyana Private Sector Commission (PSC), Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation & Development, Wilderness Explorers, GuyanaBusiness.com, and ST Infinity Consultancy.
In fact, several of these Guyanese companies have also signed on as title sponsors of the BritCham Business Forum and Networking Event, which will be held at the Stamford Bridge Stadium – home of Chelsea Football Club – in London.
The event will highlight Guyana’s remarkable economic transformation and its expanding investment landscape across energy, infrastructure, technology, finance, education, and other key growth sectors. With the venue having a 400-person capacity, the BritCham Chairman noted that they expect full attendance, surpassing last year’s 275 at Lord’s Cricket Ground.
According to Khan, “The business community here in Georgetown, Guyana, and the wider Guyanese diaspora, you have the winning lottery ticket. We’ve done everything possible to put on a fantastic event for you to network and seek international business opportunities and partners in the United Kingdom… If you’re a UK business and you’re serious about growing your business, there is no bigger opportunity than Guyana today… Come and build some direct, meaningful relationships.”
In addition to receiving support from the Guyana Government through GoInvest, the Chamber is also receiving backing from the British High Commission in Georgetown and the UK Department for Business & Trade.
British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller, described the event as a matchmaking opportunity between Guyanese and UK businesses. She also praised the work that BritCham has done since its establishment to foster business relations and enhance trade relations between the two countries, which have tripled in recent years.
“This London event is fantastic because it brings together Guyanese businesses and officials and London-based and British-based businesses and officials, providing them with the opportunity to collaborate. I believe there are great opportunities for further collaboration. So, if you’re a Guyanese business, go to the UK. This is your chance to meet face-to-face with people interested in coming here. For British businesses, it’s an opportunity to form partnerships with Guyanese businesses,” Miller noted. (G-8)