Businessuite News24
MIIC & NCB Collaboration On Guyana Mission Delivers Multi-Sector Opportunities
The recent mission to Guyana by the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce has unearthed a range of business opportunities across multiple sectors, such as Agribusiness, Construction, Financial Services & Tourism.
Conceptualised and led by portfolio Minister, Senator The Honourable Aubyn Hill, and organised by JAMPRO, the Ministry’s trade and investment promotion arm, the seven-day mission comprised a Jamaican delegation of 33 private sector and government officials.
JAMPRO arranged over 70 official business to business meetings for the Jamaican delegation with Guyanese companies and government agencies. This, with the support and collaboration of sponsor NCB, and key players such as the Guyanese Manufacturing and Services Association (GSMA), the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce (GCC), the Private Sector Council of Guyana and Go-Invest, the Guyanese government’s trade and investment agency.
“The level of proactive collaboration seen during scheduled group and small meetings has been extremely positive and shows the real economic benefits to be gained by both Jamaica and Guyana from this mission. There are already plans for a follow-up mission to advance the strong potential,” said Minister Hill.
Business networking opportunities on the mission were reinforced by a cocktail reception, sponsored by NCB Capital Markets and hosted by Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, at the Guyana Marriott Hotel. The reception featured the official signing of an MOU between the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-INVEST) and Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO).
The GSMA was represented by Executive Director, Nizam Hassan as well as second Vice President, Dr. Vishnu Doerga. Also in attendance were Chairman of the Extractive Industries subsector, Dinesh Bisessar; Chairman of the ICT subsector, Orson Ferguson; and Chairman of Textiles & Sewn Goods, Upasna Mudlier.
“NCB Capital Markets is a firm supporter of regional integration.
Steven Gooden, CEO, NCB Capital Market said, “NCB Capital Markets is a firm supporter of regional integration. To this end, we are pleased with the level of discussions that occurred at the recent JAMPRO Trade Mission to Guyana. It is these partnerships that will help to forge stronger relationships with our Guyanese neighbours and enable collective dialogue that will facilitate enhanced growth and development for both regions. We look forward to continuing conversations on our return with the JAMPRO team.”
With the expected increase in workforce needs in Guyana, Minister Hill seized the opportunity to highlight the capacity building potential of HEART NSTA to deliver the National Council on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NCTVET) certification, and stressed Jamaica’s ability to supply short term technically skilled personnel to support the Guyanese expansion.
“We will explore designing a skills exchange programme to enhance the Guyanese talent pool,” he noted.
Guyana’s workforce needs will reach 2.5 million in the next three years, from a population base of 790,000.
Richard Rambarran, President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, opined that Guyana’s workforce needs will reach 2.5 million in the next three years, from a population base of 790,000. This presents expansive opportunities for an increased demand in food from which Jamaica’s agribusiness sector and its players could benefit. This also presents an opportunity to export processed goods, explore joint ventures with Guyanese entities to utilise raw materials and create synergies along the supply chain for the mutual benefit of Jamaica and Guyana.
Guyana’s current building boom requires an expansion of the building industry. Jamaican contractors and developers with access to capital can find opportunities in this expansion, generating financial gains for Jamaica while supporting the infrastructure growth of Guyana.
The possibilities for the building boom are clear – 12 hotels are under construction, one of which is financed by a Jamaican institution and built by a Jamaican contractor. 20,000 houses are also expected to be built per year over the next few years to support the expected talent influx. In addition, some 700 km of roads are being built, including a major highway to northeast Brazil.
Additional opportunities abound in the supply of building material and technical building expertise.
The growing need for capital to finance this building boom is more than the local institutions can provide, opening opportunities for Jamaica’s sophisticated private equity, debt financiers, micro credit, and stock exchanges to market their products and services. “The financial services industry in Guyana is replete with opportunities for Jamaican business acumen and financial know how to thrive. The Jamaican institutions can play a key role in bringing structured financial instruments to Guyana and support transformation of the sector,” said Minister Hill.
Underpinning Guyana’s vision to be the breadbasket of the Caribbean is the need for greater accreditation of its laboratories and food processing factories. JANAAC, Jamaica’s National Agency for Accreditation, has already certified four Guyanese agencies and is researching the potential to establish a satellite office there to capitalise on the new opportunities that were explored with Guyanese agencies and organisations.
Commenting on her experience in a post-mission survey, a member of the Jamaican delegation, Kareema Muncey, CEO, Home Choice Enterprise Ltd, said, “It was overwhelmingly great and well organised; it was a new experience. The mission connecting Guyana to Jamaica was a great idea for networking and business opportunities.”
The spirit of collaboration and the opportunities unearthed were excellent
The trade mission included senior business representatives from the financial services, food processing, HR solutions and construction management fields, all of whom had fruitful discussions with Guyanese counterparts. The mission has improved on the established foundation between the two nations and strengthened business ties between Jamaica and Guyana for mutual economic benefit.
President of JAMPRO, Diane Edwards stated, “The spirit of collaboration and the opportunities unearthed were excellent and reinforced the need for deeper regional integration as the shared benefits will enhance the region on a whole.”
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast that Guyana’s overall real gross domestic product (GDP) for 2022 will grow at a rate of 57.8 per cent. Much of this is underpinned by the development of a nascent oil and gas sector, and spin-off developments.
Businessuite News24
JA$2 Billion in Support to Jamaican MSMES
“Small business owners have said to me that opening a bank account for their business is difficult. They feel there’s no difference between the requirements for them as MSMEs, as opposed to a very large institution,” she noted.
The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) has been allocated $2 billion in the 2025/26 Estimates of Expenditure to support funding to the micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) sector.
Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams, made the disclosure while delivering the opening presentation in the 2025/26 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (March 11).
“It (the DBJ) will continue to pursue innovative means of mobilising funding and leveraging private-sector investment and expertise through its venture capital programme, as well as public-private partnerships and privatisation transactions,” she informed.
Mrs. Williams noted the Government’s commitment to the MSME sector, which includes an estimated 422,000 registered small businesses, generating 80 per cent of the jobs in the economy.
Approximately 1,136,240 persons are employed by MSMEs.
The Minister acknowledged that there are several issues facing the sector, including lack of equitable access to financing, high interest rates and cumbersome requirements for opening bank accounts.
“Small business owners have said to me that opening a bank account for their business is difficult. They feel there’s no difference between the requirements for them as MSMEs, as opposed to a very large institution,” she noted.
She pledged to work with Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, to reduce the requirements for the entities to open bank accounts.
The Finance Minister noted, further, that Government will be increasing the General Consumption Tax (GCT) exemption for small businesses from $10 million to $15 million.
By: Donique Weston JIS
Businessuite News24
Jamaica Open For High-Value Agricultural Investments – Minister Green
“Now is the time for high-value agricultural investment, right here in Jamaica. Things that we produce in Jamaica are sought after all over the world. As such, we do believe there are significant opportunities now in agro processing,” Mr. Green said.
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Businessuite Women
Corporate Movements: Margaret Campbell Appointed CEO of GKMS Group; Lee-Anne Bruce Named COO
GraceKennedy Limited (GK) is pleased to announce leadership changes at GraceKennedy Money Services (GKMS) as part of its ongoing succession plan and strategic talent development and deployment.
Effective April 1, 2025, Margaret Campbell will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GKMS Group. Campbell, who has worked with GKMS for over 25 years, has served as its Chief Operating Officer (COO) since 2020. She joined GKMS in 1996 and has held several leadership roles during her tenure including, Financial Controller, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Country Manager for GKMS Jamaica. A Fellow Certified Chartered Accountant, Campbell also holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Manchester and serves on several GK subsidiary boards. She is also the current President of the Jamaica Money Remitters Association.
Frank James, Group CEO of GraceKennedy, expressed confidence in Campbell’s leadership, stating, “Margaret has demonstrated strong leadership and an unwavering commitment to providing exceptional value and convenience to our customers across Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, in keeping with our vision of being the number one Caribbean brand in the world. I have no doubt she will continue to drive GKMS forward.”
Grace Burnett, CEO of GKFG, added, “Margaret’s industry expertise and strategic approach make her the ideal person to lead GKMS into the future. Her experience and passion for operational excellence will be instrumental as GKFG continues to grow and evolve.” The announcement of Campbell’s appointment comes as Burnett, who has led GKMS since 2019, prepares to retire from GraceKennedy later this year.
Lee-Anne Bruce
Additionally, GraceKennedy has named Lee-Anne Bruce as the new COO of the GKMS Group, also effective April 1, 2025. Bruce holds a bachelor’s degree from the Frank G. Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University and is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist. With over a decade in senior leadership roles at GK, she has served as Group Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Risk Officer, and most recently, Chief Audit Executive. She began her career at GK in 2003, when she played a key role in GKMS’ expansion into the Eastern Caribbean.
Margaret Campbell, incoming GKMS CEO, welcomed Bruce’s appointment, stating, “Lee-Anne is no stranger to GKMS and her extensive experience and understanding of our business will undoubtedly be invaluable in her new role.”
In light of the leadership changes at GKMS, Judith Chung, Group Chief Compliance Officer & Senior Legal Counsel, will act as Chief Audit Executive of GraceKennedy Limited, while Jason Bailey, Head of Risk, will temporarily assume responsibility for the Compliance portfolio.
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