| As complaints and concerns continue to surface over the opening of a Lethem retail store, of which the owners in their application clearly sought a licence to open a restaurant and supermarket, government has announced that a special body is to be established to specifically monitor the activities of business proposals in that border area and to ensure that they stick to their requests.On Wednesday, Chairman of the Lethem Chamber of Commerce and Industry, John Macedo, accompanied by Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manniram Prashad, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), Geoffrey Da Silva, met President Bharrat Jagdeo at State House where it was agreed that the management committee would be formed.Speaking with government reporters, Macedo said that the committee will ensure that corrective measures are put in place on a recently established retail store which proprietors had initially proposed for a restaurant and supermarket.“They have to adjust according to the proposal,” Macedo saidFeng Liang Ji,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, a Chinese national who came to Guyana to work on the Moco Moco Hydro Project, 10 years ago, has so far invested $50 million in the retail business, selling mostly clothing and footwear.But some Lethem businesses, earlier this week, claimed the business should not have been where it is and in fact was not set up in keeping with the principles governing the establishment of the commercial zone at Lethem.The China Star Shop is one of the newer businesses changing the landscape of Lethem, as cross-border shopping soars following the opening of the Takutu border bridge.Brazilians from neighbouring communities are rushing for the cheap prices and within the last month of its opening, there has hardly been a slow day at the China Star Shop.The setting up of the commercial zone was advocated by the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce, which now has a register of approximately 100 businesses.Macedo, earlier this week, said that the setting up of the zone was meant to centralise commercial activity in Lethem.However, some members of the Chamber, including those who sit as directors, told Kaieteur News that there might have been a blunder in allocating land to the China Star Shop owner and permission to build the store.One director said that the commercial zone was intended to set up local businesses in the first phase, and discourage importers from dominating the market. President Bharrat Jagdeo unveiled a plaque to declare the commercial zone open Saturday.Macedo was reluctant to discuss whether members of the Chamber had a problem with the business. He said as President of the Chamber, he speaks only on the mandate of the Chamber, and so far no such discussion has taken place.But he is in staunch support of the China Star Shop, even though he faces competition himself.He said as far as he knew, the owners of the China Star Shop are naturalised Guyanese and neither are they importers, but in fact sourced their items for resale from Chinese importers in Georgetown.However, the owner of the store, Feng Liang Ji, said he is not a naturalised Guyanese and when asked if he was importing his products, his answer was a clear “yes.”He said he applied to the Guyana Office for Investment to set up his business and received approval so he doesn’t know what the problem is. If some of his competitors are afraid of the competition, Feng Liang Ji has a clear word for them: “business is business.”Macedo, who also has a clothing store, said he faces competition too from the China Star Shop, “but I respect that.” As far as Macedo is concerned, there is no control on prices in Guyana and Lethem is certainly gearing up for the competition.Macedo said that of the 60 plots identified in the commercial zone, 55 have already received approval, while the other five plots are on hold pending further discussions because they are located in close proximity to the Lethem airstrip.While in Lethem over the Easter weekend for the annual rodeo, President Jagdeo said that “we want Lethem to grow in a fashion that will be orderly so the government will be working with the business community to ensure that happens.”The opening of the bridge across the Takutu River has strengthened the relationship between Guyana and Brazil, in the area of cross-border trade and with Lethem and Bon Fim being the focal points, President Jagdeo said such trade must be conducted with full respect for the laws of both countries and for the special arrangements established between the two.Several technical agreements were inked between the Governments of Guyana and Brazil after the official opening of the Takutu Bridge on September 14, 2009 including a memorandum of understanding for the creation of a frontier committee, the promotion of trade and investment and on national defence matters. |
