GMSA considers ‘buy local’ push
The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) is considering advocating measures to reduce the importation of school shirts and strengthen the competitiveness of local garment manufacturers after meeting with representatives of the country’s uniform and sewn goods sector.
The issue was among the key concerns raised during a sectoral engagement held on Friday, where local manufacturers argued that continued imports of school shirts threaten the sustainability of domestic garment factories and the jobs they provide.
Speaking with Kiskadee Watch, GMSA Executive Director Govindra Raghubansi said the meeting formed part of the association’s ongoing consultations with its various sub-sectors to identify opportunities, challenges and policy recommendations that will be presented to the Government.
“GMSA has several sub-sectors… and every so often we meet with these sectors to ensure that they are aware of what’s going on in terms of the growing country and opportunities that they have, but also to understand what are some challenges that they may face,” Raghubansi said.
He explained that the discussions are documented throughout the year and used to prepare submissions to the Ministry of Finance, particularly ahead of the national budget, while additional recommendations are made as the need arises.
While declining to disclose all of the association’s proposals because of its ongoing engagement with the Government, Raghubansi confirmed that increasing support for the local garment industry is among the issues under consideration.
He noted that the association is examining ways to make the sector more competitive, including advocating for reductions in Value-Added Tax (VAT) or other taxes affecting manufacturers, whether on imported production inputs or on finished products.
The GMSA is also encouraging manufacturers to obtain “Made in Guyana” branding and pursue export opportunities, while discussions have also focused on strengthening local procurement policies that would prioritise Guyanese-made uniforms where possible. “We floated, how can we use local first or buy local in the procurement policy, as well, for uniforms,” Raghubansi said.
He added that the association also wanted to determine whether local manufacturers were benefiting from increased demand for uniforms generated by Guyana’s expanding oil and gas, construction and other growing industries. According to him, many of the businesses represented remain concentrated in the traditional school uniform market rather than supplying uniforms to other sectors.
The meeting was attended by approximately eight representatives from the garment industry, including one of the country’s largest school uniform manufacturers. Among those participating was local manufacturer Gregory Ram, who said factory operators expressed concern over the continued importation of school shirts.
“We expressed our concerns about the importation of school shirts and that we are hoping to stop the importation of school shirts which is currently affecting local garment factories in Guyana,” Ram said in a social media post following the meeting. He argued that unless imports are reduced, local garment factories could struggle to remain viable, placing at risk the livelihoods of many employees, particularly women working in the sector.
Raghubansi said the GMSA had previously succeeded in securing policy changes for manufacturers, pointing to the removal of VAT on locally manufactured furniture following recommendations made by the association.
He expressed confidence that similar proposals for the garment industry would receive consideration as the Government continues its engagement with the manufacturing sector.
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