“…yuh doan have to push, yuh doan have to knock: just entaH!”
Minister Mohamed Irfaan Ali
With those words, the legendary hospitality of the Guyanese was extended to attendees at the CARIBUSA Business Network organised Invest Guyana Forum in Florida. It was at that forum that a tangible expression of what quite the Minister’s words mean for business and investment in Guyana was launched in the form of the inaugural edition of ‘Invest Guyana’ by its editor – Sandra Ann Baptiste, CITP.
“Have you ever been experienced?” (Title of a hit from the music of her youth by Jimmy Hendrix) is not a question for the editor of this issue of the magazine under review. Ms. Baptiste, as a virtual icon of Guyanese journalism, is a specialist on Caribbean affairs, and a Business Consultant and Trainer. She did a better than competent job on this issue of ‘iNvest Guyana’ which is a private sector initiative that from the get-go does the unthinkable. It associates the Name Guyana with the term ” Robust economy” Wat ah Ting!
Domestic and international Investors looking to maxamise their business potential will surely have to take notice of the note being struck by this magazine – It being the kind of thing that is music to their ears. Their first encounter of a striking nature with the magazine, if they weren’t privileged to witness its stirring introduction by Ms. Baptiste at the Invest Guyana event held as a collaboration between diverse business interests with offices in the Florida area, and the Caribbean Trade Center in conjunction with the Guyana Consulate in Miami would be the lower case “i” in the “iNvest” part of the typographic setting of the title. The next striking aspect of the cover is the set of Guyanese coins used as the featured photographic illustration. Given the fractional value of the Guyana dollar to the ultimate currency of business (one Guyana dollar being the equivalent of a fraction of a US cent) the choice of coins as the featured illustration is regrettable!
Having taught this subject for many years and having had a long practice as a Graphic Designer with many magazine covers and corporate logos to my credit (one of which – the Guyana Forestry Commission, is in use by an advertiser in this magazine) I’m particularly attuned to the use of design elements and their Freudian meanings. It is from that perspective that I offer this criticism.
It must be understood however that having taken, upfront, such a critical approach to the design aspects of the effort by Lokesh Singh the publisher and his Advertising and Marketing Services, I do recognise the editorial content as highly informative and dispelling, I suspect, of an old and persisting image of Guyana. It is exactly that old and persisting image that this magazine seeks to mitigate with its entirely contrary messages about the reality of Guyana now. Its many articles are from highly reputable sources and tell of a country with a friendly investment climate. It is of a county on the GO! One which Investors are forewarned won’t remain as open as it matures as those words by the Minister, with which this review begins, suggest. The overall message about the investment climate in Guyana is that THE TIME IS NOW! Get it, NOW!
Everybody knows that sustaining the continuance of a magazine in the Caribbean is a huge and uphill challenge. Very few survive irrespective of the aspect of Caribbean life they specialize in featuring. It took Fifty-eight advertisements to facilitate the publication of the thirty-two articles included in the 96 pages of the inaugural issue of ‘iNvest Guyana’. It is a good sign that such robust support from business interests was made available to this issue of ‘iNvest Guyana’ and hopefuly it will continue. May there be many more issues extolling the virtues of the investment climate in Guyana, we need it. The many articles by major business, finance and development players nationally, regionally and internationally included in this inaugural issue could not possibly be reviewed here. Suffice it to say that nowhere does it begin to approach the socio-political climate of the country. That, specifically is not its remit.
Outlining the accomplishments and aspirations of business in Guyana is what specifically it does, and it does it well with a diverse selection of contributors A quick lick at its table of contents reveals that contributions to it have been made by the President of the Caribbean Development Bank, the Canadian High Commissioner and the President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and industry among others. Such experienced corporate Captains as Sattaur Gafoor whom the magazine styles as an “Icon of Industry” offer some sage advice that the relatively newer captains of commerce such as Jad Rahaman and the Panday brothers, whose investments are also featured, could well benefit from. Gafoor emphasised his continuance of his father’s philosophy of helping others in mentioning that “…six years ago we established the Small Business Development Trust Bank to finance small entrepreneurs who could not have obtained finances from commercial banks.” and which has in that time “acquired an equity of G$200 million, and has for last year alone helped 600 person(s)”
The often mooted statement that Industry is the Engine of Growth is much in evidence in this issue of the magazine. The question for the editor and publisher is why not a greater emphasis on the fuel for that engine – culture? The lack of serious discussion on the prospects in the larger scheme of things for the cultural industries is a regrettable omission that the editor and publisher would do well to consider for subsequent issues. The theme for CARIFESTA 2013 is CULTURE FOR DEVELOPMENT
Articles on low carbon footprint developments, the Barbados Mega Farm, Marriott and Choice hotels coming to Guyana, Ogle Airport developments, and much more are all included in this issue. Messages from the usual suspects – the President of Guyana and the Minister pf Tourism round out this inaugural issue of ‘iNvest Guyana’ making its assurances of the suitability of the investment climate of Guyana official.
Errol Ross Brewster
Aventine at Miramar
30th May, ’13
