As the Private Sector continues to implement measures to encourage opportunities for small business growth, an apiculture training seminar was held this week focusing on entrepreneurship in bee management.
The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) with the financial and technical support of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), through its Caribbean consultancy services network is implementing a three-year project on improving the capacity of micro, small and medium-sized business in Guyana. One of the recognised sectors in the project is apiary or the bee industry.
The workshop, which began on Monday and ended on Friday, saw 25 potential beekeepers (ages 18-45) being introduced to principles of managing honey and wax production.
GCCI President Deodat Indar highlighted the opportunities for employment, and noted that small and medium sized businesses represent a significant portion of Guyana’s economy.
“Although there a lot of big businesses, the small and medium sized businesses represent 60 per cent of Guyana’s economy; so the GCCI will be implanting 15 sub-projects over the next three years targeting the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Through this programme, the GCCI will provide technical assistance and support thorough workshops, seminars and organisational attachments,” he pointed out.
Indar further explained that participants would be exposed to understanding market trends and sales and basic accounting records.
Meanwhile, Private Sector Commission (PSC) Chairman Eddie Boyer, in his address, responded to and rejected the assertion that “big businesses” were at odds with small business operations. He told the gathering that while unemployment hampered one’s independence, persons should not be envious of those with more money or bigger operations.
“Don’t envy people with money, understand that they create jobs and they do the same things like anybody else. We got a thing in this country like if someone is getting on in life and doing very well, you pull them down. If you go about life narrow, hateful, don’t care, and got a bad disposition, you ain’t going no place. Change your perspective,” Boyer asserted.
He further encouraged the group to implement the knowledge and skills garnered from the training in their small apiary operations.
Some of the areas covered throughout the seminar included installing wax foundation, types of hives and honey extraction methods. The project’s target groups are unemployed persons and vulnerable groups, youth and women.
