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In spite of Brazil’s proximity, the private sector in Guyana believes that there is still a great deal of untapped potential for trade and business between our two countries.This was the prevailing idea at the official launch of the Guyana/Brazil Private Sector Integration Project on Friday. The Guyanese private sector was represented by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) and the Private Sector Commission while their Brazilian counterparts were SEBRAE, the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Development Support Organisation.Key stakeholders in the Guyana/Brazil Integration Project including representatives of CIDA, SEBRAE and the Guyana and Brazilian Governments.President of GMSA, Clinton Williams said in his address that “SEBRAE has been entrusted by the Government of Brazil to promote clear and viable business development and support programmes that would allow for the establishment, sustenance and growth of small and micro entrepreneurs, with their main objectives being job creation and income generation.”Williams pointed out that the current relationship between Guyana and Brazil is weaker than it ought to be. He noted that in spite of the existence of a number of trade and investment initiatives along the lines of the Partial Scope Agreement which was entered into in 2001 and extended indefinitely in 2008 as well as the recently commissioned multi-million dollar Takatu Bridge. He said that, “the intended benefits of cross-border trade and investment activities between our two countries are still way below expectation after 10 years.”He issued a call for a  change to the situation, saying, “We in the GMSA and the Private Sector as a whole need to find innovative ways, working in conjunction with the Government,Wholesale NFL China Jerseys, to significantly reduce the trade imbalances between Guyana and Brazil.”Williams stated that the eleven-man team from SEBRAE arrived in the country on July 18, and immediately proceeded to undertake an in-depth field and market intelligence study that will look at agriculture and agro business particularly aquaculture, apiculture and agro processing. The team will also look at maritime transportation and logistics as well as tourism and cultural tourism with emphasis on fashion design, dance, arts and craft.Airton Diaz, President of SEBRAE, gave a brief overview of the project and expressed his organization’s enthusiasm at being a part of the initiative. The objectives of the integration project are to strengthen export sales through enhanced production of goods and services; to generate employment and to assist in the development of products and services originating from the northern states and their Guyanese counterparts which can be successfully marketed within the region.Diaz also announced that there will be a business institute set up in the state of Roraima to cater for Guyanese businessmen who will be taught Portuguese and the essentials of doing business in Brazil.Brazilian Ambassador, Luis Gilberto Seixas de Andre however adopted a position similar to that of the GMSA President saying that the levels of bilateral trade created by the Takutu bridge are not reaching the expected potentials.The Ambassador also raised the point that in order to increase the trade potential between our two countries then we need to reach a balance in that trade. He said that meant that Brazil needed to buy more of Guyana’s good services. Good business, the Ambassador noted, requires that both countries need to take a leading role in fostering bilateral agreements.Delivering the feature address was Prime Minister Samuel Hinds who said that the Government looks forward to the growth of business and social relations between the people of Guyana and Brazil. He said that there is much that Guyana can learn from Brazil which is both more populous and mature as an independent country.Being the Minister with oversight for mining, the Prime Minister noted that he was in a unique position to comment on Brazil’s impact on our mining industry which he claimed was truly beneficial consideration the influx of Brazilian manpower as well as the use of Brazilian machinery which would have cost much more if sourced from Europe or the US.He also spoke of the Memorandum of Understanding drawn up some time ago between the two governments, which authorizes the Brazilian electrical company, Electrobras to arrange for studies of the hydropower potential in the Mazaruni and Potaro River basins. He posited that these could be large developments. The prime minister also brushed on the topic of the road link between Guyana and Manaus in Brazil which he claimed the two governments were working towards seeing come to fruition.Meanwhile, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and senior representatives of the Brazilian delegation during a press conference Saturday morning described the visit as successful.According to PSC’s Chairman, Ramesh Dookhoo, the Brazilian’s visit is part of the continued effort by the organization to improve trade between Guyana and that neighboring country. Following a historic visit by a large Brazilian business contingent late last year, Guyana had signed what was described as a partial scope agreement in January.Hosting the press conference with Dookhoo were Brazilians,  Lisiane Gassner Carnetti, Director of the Regional Department (SENAC), Roraima State; Kildo de Albuquerque Andrade Regional Director of SESC, Roraima State, and Antonio Dias, President of SEBRAE.According to the officials, the immediate concerns of Guyana and Brazil include the language barriers and improving trade ties. A language school is to be established in Guyana to address the first issue.Already three Brazilian companies have started trading with Guyana and Guyana’s flour company, the National Milling Company Guyana (NAMILCO is already selling flour to that country.During the past days, the Brazilian delegation met with Prime Minister Sam Hinds, Minister of Culture, Frank Anthony and Trade Minister, Manniram Prashad. The intentions of the integration project look to also include specialized exchanged programs in agriculture and agro processing and cultural exchanges and graduate and post-graduate training in selected areas. It is expected that in September, Guyana will be sending nine persons to Brazil explore more cooperation.Several Ministries and agencies including GO-Invest and local aircraft operators, the tourism association and John Fernandes Limited have also met with the Brazilians.The pilot project was staged in November 2010 in the guise of the SEBRAE Entrepreneur Fair held in Boa Vista. On that occasion, public and private sector representatives from both countries interacted through a number of panel discussions that examined the challenges and opportunities available for cross-border integration that seeks to closely align Guyana with the Northern States of Brazil – Roraima, Amazonia and Para.