Sustainable expansion of Guyana’s export earnings

Komal Samaroo

Komal Samaroo
Chairman, Demerara Distillers Ltd.
Feature Address at launch of the
GCCI’s Magazine… ‘Guyana on the Move’

I want to compliment the organization for the positive and upbeat choice of theme of their Magazine “Guyana on the Move.”  I believe that too much negative energy has been imbued in our national discourse at a time when the future outlook has never been better. It is time for the Private Sector to add to its SWOT analysis, a SOAR analysis (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations and Results) as a strategic planning tool.

I read some recent remarks by the President of the Chamber advocating the need for increased exports of manufactured products. This call resonated very much with my own views. I believe that the future prosperity of the population must come from a sustainable expansion of the country’s export earnings – our growth must be export led!

In preparation of this address I visited the 2017 Annual Report of the Bank of Guyana to look at the present sources of Export Earnings and this is what I learnt –