have to pay if they were to visit local sites

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The Berbice Chamber of Commerce during its second Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner on Saturday at the Albion Estate Senior Staff Club, raised several concerns with President Donald Ramotar. These included the need for a proper East Bank Berbice Road; a connecting road from the Berbice River Bridge leading directly to New Amsterdam; proper drainage and irrigation for farmers, and an update of the bridging of the Corentyne River.President Donald Ramotar presents the Business of the Year Award to Nand Persaud and Co. Ltd.Many complained about the reduced commerce and the decreased volume of traffic in New Amsterdam, since the construction of the Berbice River Bridge. The New Amsterdam Ferry Stelling stopped functioning as a hub due to the opening of the bridge and the town is said to be “dying”.The Chamber, which comprises several corporate entities in Berbice, and is Guyana’s oldest, celebrating its 81st Anniversary this year, has also inducted its newest President, Mark Roopnarine, of Ainlim Berbice Inc.“People need to have access to their lands and to proper drainage,” said outgoing President, Imran Sacoor, while speaking about the dilapidated state of the 25-mile long East Bank Berbice access road.“The Suriname Bridge is going to create a lot of opportunities for commerce once it comes on board”, he said. He asked President Ramotar to give an update about the state of works for the construction of the bridge across the Corentyne River.“We recognize that when persons travel across the Bridge (to East Berbice) they go directly to the Corentyne. The government must find a shorter route into New Amsterdam.”The businesses also called for the government, especially the Tourism Ministry, to stop the 30 per cent tax that Guyanese, especially corporate employees during their vacation leave, have to pay if they were to visit local sites, for example Kaieteur Falls.“Many persons don’t want to pay the 30 percent and would rather take a trip to Trinidad than to Kaieteur [Falls]”.Sacoor touted the contributions of the Chambers during recent times, “and I think we have done many types of commerce- related activities within the last two years”.The Berbice Business Magazine was launched recently and work is ongoing for a new edition, “so the vision is not only to build commerce in Berbice, but also to be able to sell Berbice internationally”. Numerous seminars, too, were conducted to train young people and businesspersons to expand their businesses. Seven of these persons who participated in those workshops even started up their own businesses, much to Sacoor’s delight.Amjad Ally of Rose Hall Estate was awarded Sugar Worker of the Year, while Maggie Motaziuer received the Nurse of the Year prize.Detective Corporal Ryan Caesar received the Cop of the Year Award. He was crucial to the solving of the murder of the late Berbice Constable, Diaram who was murdered last year.A section of the gatheringThe Sports Personality of the Year Award went to Quacy Matheson while Stamond Adams received the Award for Academic Excellence. T&R Karran and Sons received the Farmer of the Year Award while the Rotary Club of New Amsterdam copped the Community Service Award.And Ansa McAl received the Corporate Award in Commerce and Corporate Responsibility, while President Ramotar presented Nand Persaud and Company Limited for Business of the Year in Berbice, and for its corporate contribution to the Berbice business community, having a rice- milling and packaging facility, plastic bag manufacturing facility and two massive call centres at Port Mourant and on East Bank Demerara, which combined, employs over 700 persons.