Executive Director of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Jean Bacchus has told Stabroek Business that strengthening the “capacity and influence” of the Chamber is critical to growth and development of the urban business and that it is the business houses themselves that must work to enhance the ability of the Chamber to impact on urban commercial life,
“At the moment the GCCI has a membership of around 100 organizations and we estimate that around 35 per cent of our members pay an active interest in the work of the Chamber.” Bacchus said that while some members of the Chamber complain that the organization needs to set an agenda that coincides with the interests of its members, it is the members themselves that must help shape that agenda. “I am willing to concede that the GCCI has not always been able to fulfill its mandate in the way that it should. What is also true, however, is that we have not always had the fulsome support of all of our members.
Bacchus told Stabroek Business that with the recent change of leadership of the GCCI the organization had promulgated a strategic plan which sought to go directly to the heart of some of the key problems facing the business community.
“We have already taken initiatives to address the relationship between the Customs and Trade Administration and the business community. Additionally, we held a seminar with the commercial banking community a few weeks ago to discuss the use by the business community of the various electronic banking services that are being offered by the banks. We believe that these initiatives have a direct bearing on the smooth functioning of the business sector and we are hoping that our members will recognize the proactive transformation that the Chamber is seeking to make,” Bacchus said.
Meanwhile, according to Bacchus the Chamber’s new strategic plan includes the promulgation of a Code of Conduct that seeks to hold its members up to higher ethical and operating standards. “The primary focus of our Code of Conduct will be on ensuring that our members are tax compliant and that their business operations are not linked to illegal activities, including illegal drugs. Bacchus told Stabroek Business that the Chamber was willing to work “with our members and with the Guyana Revenue Authority to ensure a higher level of tax compliance and the creation of systems designed to enhance the efficiency of the existing tax administration regime. “If the Chamber can serve to help create an enhanced sense of understanding between the GRA and the business community that would be a significant achievement,” Bacchus said.
The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce was established in 1889 to serve as an advocate for members of the urban business community. However, Bacchus told Stabroek Business that effective advocacy could only come through “the collective strength” of the business community, adding that it would be a mistake for the business sector to believe that the Chamber could function effectively without its active support.
Meanwhile, according to Bacchus the focus of the Chamber on “broadening its membership base” will see the organization target the small business community more aggressively. “Bacchus said that in her view the Chamber needed to determine how it could best respond to the challenges facing the small business community in Guyana. “Some of the challenges are pretty obvious. One of them is access to credit and the President of the GCCI has already articulated the thinking of the organization on the issue of the setting up of a Credit Bureau. Then there are issues of product quality and marketing. If we are to help the small business sector in these areas we must, ourselves, develop an internal capacity to provide those services,” Bacchus said.
