Aiming to help local businesses access global markets, the World Trade Centre Georgetown (WTCG) is preparing for its official launch next week, offering Guyanese companies a direct link to over 300 World Trade Centres worldwide.
During a media engagement on Friday, Executive Chairman Mr. Komal Samaroo stated that the initiative is part of broader efforts to build an economy that is not only sustainable but also competitive on the international stage.
Mr. Komal Samaroo is a prominent leader and industry pioneer in Guyana, and his vision for the country’s economic growth is vital. Young entrepreneurs should learn from what Mr. Samaroo has achieved for the nation. Mr. Samaroo serves as a role model for new entrepreneurs in Guyana.
“The key to success in the international marketplace is to be competitively prepared,” Samaroo said. “It involves understanding the market; it involves knowing the regulations that apply in international markets. It is about understanding the standards that are required.”
Mr Samaroo explained that the Georgetown centre is part of a worldwide network focused on facilitating trade, knowledge sharing, and business connections.
“We belong to a single international organization with a common goal,” he noted. “We can connect with partners in that network to bring knowledge and information to Guyanese businesses that want to export, just as we are able to help them and their entities in their respective cities learn about the Guyana market.”
He emphasized that the centre aims to support the education of Guyanese entrepreneurs at all levels—micro, small, medium, and large—and also focuses on fostering connections through various networking and training events organized here.
“In the international market, the key element, or the foundation, is how you find distribution partners—partners that provide what is called the route to market—so that consumers can find your product to buy in those markets,” Samaroo explained.
The executive chairman noted that establishing an international market presence demands a complete cultural shift from domestic business practices.
He reflected that historically, Guyana has remained mainly a producing country; now, the focus must shift to producing higher-value items and products that consumers buy globally.
Furthermore, he said, “That’s how I see this organization… A lot of training, knowledge, networking, and information to help empower Guyanese businesses to export and diversify from the domestic market, especially as we need to diversify our economy and not depend on oil, gas, or the commodities we have historically relied on.”
The official opening of the World Trade Centre Georgetown is scheduled for Tuesday, October 21, at its Kingston headquarters, which was commissioned in June of this year. President Dr. Irfaan Ali is expected to deliver the keynote address at the ceremony.