Buy local
The principle of buying local is widely espoused and just as widely ignored. We spend our lives buying foreign products though local ones can sometimes do the job. Christmas may be a good time to keep in mind the principle of supporting local producers whenever this is possible. Apart from anything else, this helps our balance of payments position. Let's start with food. Can there be any nicer hams in the world than the ones being sold by the C & F Meat Marketing Centre in Regent street? It should be very difficult for imported hams, tinned or otherwise, to compete with these. And this is not the only example, our local chicken is very nice and healthier than much of what comes in. And there are other local products, food and other consumer goods, that are of the highest quality. We do not agree with banning imports, that leads to smuggling and blackmarketing. Apart from which, other countries can play at that game and restrict our exports. Banning is in principle not a good idea. What we are suggesting, rather, is that local products be given a fair chance. It is true that local producers can in many cases do more than they now do to push their products with better packaging, advertising, marketing and distribution. But it would also be very useful if, for example, an organisation like the Guyana Manufacturers Association could at a time like this highlight the many local products that are available, often at competitive prices, which could be excellent Christmas presents. The problem is partly a mindset. As a colony, we exported one or two staples like sugar and imported nearly everything we used or needed. This left us with a bias against local products. We are not suggesting that we should buy local things if they are of inferior quality. Our manufacturers must be competitive in quality and price. But when you are ready to do your Christmas shopping why not pause for a minute to consider whether any good quality local goods may be available. Buy local for Christmas when you can.
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