Dear Editor,

I am very pleased to see that my two previous letters have encouraged active debate. My one on the PNC leadership question seems to have smoked out some campaigners; so far the 'Raphael for Leader' campaigners seem to be fastest out of the blocks. Long may that debate continue. It is in the national interest.

Meanwhile, I see Richard Humprey, very late of the Hotel Tower, has once again reacted to my thoughts on the soi disant tourist industry in this country. Long may that debate rage too.

Meanwhile, might I put another iron into the fire of the SN's letter column. Open for debate.

It is time for the Guyanese to turn Yesu Persaud of DDL and Ronald Bulkan of Precision Wood Working into national heroes and for the rest to follow what they have done. Slavishly. They've cracked it. Both of them. They've taken a commodity product-sugar or timber - and turned it into a branded and quality product ready for the niche markets of the metropolis. Yesu has created El Dorado, available on the shelves of British supermarkets, Ronald has created Precision garden swings available in the garden shops of the self same supermarkets. Both are thriving. Both deserve to.

It's not rocket science. Not much is in Guyana since the Beal Deal collapsed under the weight of its many critics. We make commodity products. There's little or no market left for them. We have to convert those commodities into a unique branded product wanted by consumers in the first world. Bacardi has done it. So too Johnnie Walker in a big way. Shipping and marketing are the keys.

When will manufacturers and entrepreneurs in Guyana realise it and build on it? Over to all you Wehrner Von Brauns. Let this debate begin. Now.