Chief Executive Officer of Guysons Group, Faizal Khan, has announced the creation of a British Chamber of Commerce Guyana (BritCham) to promote commercial business between the United Kingdom and Guyana, its largest trading partner in the Caribbean.
BritCham plans to foster an open networking environment for countries to engage and discuss issues impacting their businesses and UK-Guyana trade, by making use of events like member meetings, business breakfasts and seminars.
It will also offer its members increased access to and knowledge of each market, investment opportunities, expert and technical skills, advisory services, a range of industry, policy and regulatory insights across sectors and competitive pricing.
Khan, a UK/Guyana citizen, serves as Chairperson of the Britcham Guyana Steering Group.
“Guyana and the UK have enjoyed a cordial, strong relationship for more than five decades, and the business community between the two nations is growing quickly as the economy booms,” Khan said during a media conference at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown, on the sidelines of the International Energy Conference and Expo 2023.
“There are already significant opportunities for companies in both markets, which we only expect to increase in the years to come,” Khan said. “We encourage enterprises based in the UK to join BritCham Guyana so that we can help them understand, navigate and tap into Guyana’s rapidly expanding economy. We also call on Guyanese businesses to sign up to explore opportunities in the large, diverse UK market and partnerships with UK companies and investors.”
A note from the Chamber reminded that in 2021, Guyana accounted for 21.6% of all the UK’s trade with the Caribbean. It said to date, there has been a 45.9% increase in trade among the two nations for 2022.
The UK High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller, announced in October than the visa requirement for Guyanese to visit the United Kingdom has been lifted. This allows a Guyanese visitor to stay in the UK for six months. Guyana has been able to secure a series of new waivers for travel to countries, as interest grows in Guyana’s oil-fuelled development trajectory.
