With 6,511 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) registered with the Small Business Bureau over the past five years, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Susan Rodrigues said the focus must now be on helping businesses move beyond simply operating to becoming competitive and ready for expansion.
On Tuesday, the minister spoke at a business engagement held at the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Kingston, and urged local entrepreneurs to position themselves for greater investment and export opportunities.
“All of our initiatives are to grow small and medium sized enterprises to ensure that we not only register new businesses but that the businesses are sustained,” the minister said.
The minister said businesses need more than registration to succeed. She said access to financing, proper records, certification and the ability to meet international market requirements, make them sustainable.
Importantly, the Small Business Bureau is conducting visits to businesses and conducting record keeping to ensure that small businesses are meeting necessary capacity to function.
“They have, in the last five years, made 7,801 visits to small businesses and 75 per cent of them remain in operation,” the minister said.
Rodrigues also said the ministry has been working to simplify trade processes. The minister said the introduction of the electronic single window for trade system has made access much easier. She said between mid-2025 and August 2026, 13,930 applications were submitted with applications processed.
Additionally, Cargo imports increased by 88.5 per cent.
Rodrigues said Government policies, including tax exemptions on selected manufacturing and agro-processing inputs, are intended to encourage local production and create more opportunities for businesses.
Source: NEW ROOMS SITE
