The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) on Tuesday night celebrated a year filled with achievements and successes for the century-old organization.Rehashing 2010, the body’s121st year of existence Executives and Members of the Chamber gathered for their Annual Dinner and Business Awards.President of the Chamber, Komal Ramnauth, highlighted a number of activities of the GCCI during the year.Among these was the launch of an Online Advertising Service in May for members of the Chamber. The service is also hosted on a newly reconstructed website for the GCCI.Just a month later the Chamber launched the Business Guyana 2010 Magazine – a first of its kind designed to attract investor attention, especially foreign investors to the plethora of opportunities Guyana has to offer.According to Ramnauth, the magazine was the brainchild of the Chamber’s very own Clinton Urlin who serves as Chairman of the Trade and Investment Committee. He noted that the publication also added to the government’s efforts to foster greater investment in the country.In August, the Chamber hosted a media workshop in collaboration with the Guyana Press Association and Demerara Tobacco Ltd. The aim of that workshop was to upgrade the quality of reporting on financial and business matters. In September the Chamber launched their Code of Conduct.“The Code of Conduct focuses on principles for maintaining the highest ethical standards and complying with all applicable laws, policies and regulations. It is a behavioral guide for business owners around Guyana and outlines principles, values, standards and guides the decision making, covering procedures and systems of organization that help businesses contribute to the welfare of their employees, respect the rights of all those affected by their operations, and implement good environmental practice.”Later that same month the Chamber, in yet another collaborative effort, this time with the Private Sector Commission and the Guyana Police Force, hosted a Crime Prevention Workshop. In a similar vein, November did not find the Chamber without yet another session of useful information.The Guyana Fire Service and Hand-in-Hand climbed on board to sensitize the business community on the importance of fire safety and fire prevention – what Mr. Ramnauth called “one of the greatest risks facing businesses.”The list went on to include standards training, held in October as well as supporting and participating in the Ethnic Relations Committee.The President also went on to discuss some of the Chamber’s plans for the coming year. Among these he highlighted the intention to implement a Corporate Social Responsibility Programme in the first quarter of the new year.There are also plans in the pipeline that see the Chamber collaborating with USAID on a number of projects surrounding crime prevention and security awareness. The Business Guyana Magazine will also see a new publication in the new year.Ramnauth said, “The Chamber has been focused on supporting not only the development of businesses and the business sector, but also the development of the country as a whole. The business community is an important part of the national development project.“We don’t just have a duty to build our businesses; we have a duty to improve the society around us. In Guyana, this is not a luxury choice. It is a necessity.“Business cannot thrive unless we have an enabling and flourishing environment in which we ourselves can flourish. The Chamber recognizes this and the importance of working for the common good.”One of the highlights of each year’s programme is the feature address usually delivered by a giant in the world of Business. It was a tradition that held strong this year as the address was delivered by the “diminuative giant”, as one speaker called him, Dr. Anthony N. Sabga, Chairman Emeritus and Founder of the ANSA McAL Group.In his eighties and with decades of experience and a track record of success to show for it, Dr. Sabga delivered an inspiring history of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies.He told of the days when as a young man in the 30s he let customers in Trinidad rent his Bosch refrigerator for a week to test it out after which he proceeded to sell them one of their own for $2.50 a week.He told the story of how his little business eventually grew into the huge conglomerate that it is today.Dr. Sabga also pointed out some of the opportunities waiting to be tapped right here in Guyana to the gathering of business leaders. He spoke of the abundant natural resources available here in Guyana, the foundation and economic structure that already exists to make building higher easier.He said that Guyana has business and political leaders who are committed to the development of the country in collaboration with the business community, and pointed out that local political leaders generally seem to listen to the needs of the business community.The other highlight of the evening was the awards ceremony where businesses and in some cases individuals were rewarded for their exemplary service.There were several citations issued to a number of businesses for their performance and involvement in the social and/or developmental activities of the Chamber. But the major awards were issued under several different categories.The first was the Long Service Award, which went to the Guyana Bank for Trade Industry and Commerce. Then there was the Public Service Award of Excellence that went to the Guyana National Bureau of Standards.The Corporate Citizenship Award went to Courts (Guyana) Ltd for its ongoing dedication to social well-being in Guyana as typified by their dozens of community service oriented activities.Hits and Jams Entertainment snagged the Outstanding Young Business Executive Award for their last year’s worth of promotions and entertainment.This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, instead of going to an individual went to what is now called the Acme General Store, which was founded in 1935.In the final two categories, the President’s award went to Demerara Distillers Ltd but it was the Business of the Year Award that was the high note of the evening. That award was clinched by the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company who rolled out a massive internet and connectivity upgrade over the last year, not the least of which was the Emagine campaign.