GEORGETOWN FY06 BFIF PROPOSAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000064

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BEXP ABUD BTIO ECON EINV ETRD GY
SUBJECT: GEORGETOWN FY06 BFIF PROPOSAL

REF: 05 STATE 215954


1. SUMMARY: Embassy Georgetown submits a proposal for USD
$6,000 under the Business Facilitation Incentive Fund (BFIF)
to host a seminar on electronic commerce. Post proposes to
coordinate this project with the regional Foreign Commercial
Service (FCS) office in Santo Domingo and the U.S. Agency
for International Development's Guyana Trade and Investment
Support program. This project will provide additional
resources and support to U.S. investors as well as Guyanese
exporters and will help to support Post's Mission Program
Plan (MPP) goal of strengthening Guyana-U.S. business
opportunities. END SUMMARY.

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OVERVIEW AND JUSTIFICATION
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2. Embassy Georgetown proposes to host a seminar on
electronic commerce and business development. The audience
for this event, to be offered at two locations in Guyana
(Georgetown, the capital, and New Amsterdam, the eastern
financial center),will include Government of Guyana (GOG)
policymakers, local business people, and representatives of
interested trade organizations, including the American
Chamber of Commerce in Guyana. Post proposes to welcome a
U.S.-based consultant with expertise in the use of IT for
marketing to headline the event. The event will also provide
an opportunity for the local Economic/Commercial Officer to
showcase USG e-commerce resources, such as www.export.gov
and www.buyusa.gov.


3. Such a seminar would come at an opportune time for e-
commerce development. In a recent speech on economic
priorities, President Bharrat Jagdeo identified information
technology as a prime lever for investment. In addition, the
Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce has drafted an E-
Commerce Bill that seeks to establish the legal environment
for the conduct of electronic commerce and the processing of
electronic transactions. The Ministry is presently engaged
in discussions and consultations on the Draft E-Commerce
Bill.


4. The Guyanese market offers strong potential to leverage
IT in business facilitation. The U.S. is Guyana's number one
source of imports and number two destination for exports.
Post's commercial assistant regularly receives requests for
information on how to conduct business with the United
States. Nevertheless, knowledge of FCS electronic resources
is limited. In addition, while a number of entities in
Guyana market themselves on line, especially in the tourism
area, knowledge of best practices for marketing a product on
the internet is unsophisticated. Facilitation of e-commerce
for marketing purposes would greatly enhance the ability of
U.S. business entities to gain market information, including
data on prices and product appearance. Early successes in
post's other efforts to increase the use of IT in its
operations, such as the Consular Section's promotion of the
Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF),suggest that
government-to-consumer IT applications are relevant in
Guyana.

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PERFORMANCE METRICS / ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES
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5. The E-Commerce program will increase access to the
Guyanese market for U.S. investors and will provide contacts
for Guyanese companies and individuals eager to build
commercial ties to the United States. Specific performance
metrics will include the number of Guyanese companies doing
business on-line and increases in the number of Guyanese
visitors to USG electronic commercial diplomacy resources.

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PLANNING MILESTONES
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6. Post will collaborate with USAID's Guyana Trade and
Investment Support program in the vetting and selection of
the consultant to lead the program. The Economic/Commercial
Section will also secure the attendance of a high-level GOG
official to be the keynote speaker and invite
representatives of various trade organizations in such
industries as tourism, crafts, and financial services.

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ESTIMATED COSTS
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7. The anticipated cost for this project is $US 6,000 to
fund travel, hotel and per diem for a U.S. based consultant,
site rental, and add placement in local media outlets. The
budget for the program will also include brochures listing
USG commercial resources on-line. Post also proposes to use
BFIF funds to purchase a booth at the GuyExpo trade fair,
where Economic/Commercial section staff will distribute
brochures promoting USG online commercial diplomacy
resources. The budget assumes the following:

$4,500 for travel, fees, hotel and per diem for a U.S. based
consultant
$150 for print media and TV advertising
$750 for brochures
$600 for site rental, booth rental at GuyExpo and FSN
overtime


8. Point of contact through November 2006 is
Economic/Commercial Officer Ed Luchessi. He can be reached
at IVG 747-0220 or LuchessiEP@state.gov.

BULLEN