Businesses will once again be able to import products from Florida in the United States using a Certificate of Free Sale issued by the Enterprise Florida Institute as long as the goods being imported are not subject to an existing distributorship agreement.
This decision was reached by Cabinet and took effect from May 1, 2021, according to a release yesterday from the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce.
A contention had arisen among importers of products from Florida after some businesses expressed concern that the Government Analyst-Food and Drugs Department was no longer accepting Certificates of Free Sale issued by the Florida Enterprise Inc.
This decision, the importers lamented, had significantly affected their ability to source goods in a timely and predictable way. The release said that other businesses contended that some local supermarkets and other suppliers were being allowed to import items for which an official distributorship agreement exists.
The release said that this matter prompted an urgent discussion among the Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond; Attorney General, Anil Nandlall; Advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy; representatives of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association; the Supermarkets Association and other importers. The Cabinet decision was based on a consensus arrived at during this meeting, the release said.
The release added that the Cabinet decision made it clear that while Certificates of Free Sale from Enterprise Florida Institute will be accepted, all items being imported must be in compliance with the laws of Guyana and acceptable standards for importation as verified by the Government Analyst-Food and Drugs Department. Importers would also be allowed to import versions of products not catered for by local authorized distributorships.
The Ministry is currently verifying and compiling a list of local sole authorized distributors and their respective product portfolios in order to streamline the process.
Walrond expressed satisfaction with the decision.
“I am happy that we have been able to reach an agreement on this matter. I believe this augurs well for our businesses and consumers. It was great that we were able to bring the two sides together to ventilate this issue properly and, as a result, come up with a position of compromise that benefits both sides”.
The release said that a certificate of free sale is issued as confirmation that the goods being sold have been approved by the regulatory authorities in the country where the goods were manufactured and can be exported without restrictions.
