Feasibility Study for an E-commerce Development

Programme through the Institute of Private Enterprise

Development (IPED)

Table of Contents
A. Abstract .............................................................................................................................................3
B. Background of Study..........................................................................................................................4
C. What is e-commerce?.........................................................................................................................4
D. Readiness for e-commerce in Guyana................................................................................................6
E. E-readiness of IPED clients...............................................................................................................11
F. Recommendations for IPED's e-commerce development programme..............................................14
G. Resources..........................................................................................................................................15
Annex 1 : Opportunities for m-commerce in Guyana .........................................................................16
Annex 3 : Detailed analysis of survey responses..................................................................................27

A. Abstract
The Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED) commissioned a feasibility study for an ecommerce development programme in Guyana. The study analysed the national readiness for ecommerce and found that there were some enabling factors and some deficiencies.
A survey was carried out with a random sample of clients of IPED to get a sense of their interest and it
was found that the current client base of IPED has limited awareness and needs capacity building to
implement e-commerce.
The recommendations for the IPED e-commerce development programme are therefore :1. to raise awareness about e-commerce
2. to integrate e-commerce techniques in training activities
3. to provide a web portal to expand the exposure of IPED clients to new markets
4. to advocate for the conditions locally which are needed to stimulate e-commerce

This study was conducted by DevNet, an NGO promoting the use of Information and Communications
Technologies in Guyana's Development .

B. Background of Study
The Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED) is the leading institution in Guyana which
provides financial and non-financial services to the most needy sector of the economy (i.e. the
underprivileged, micro and small entrepreneurs). The Entrepreneurial Development Centre(EDC) of
IPED is interested in executing an E-Commerce Development Programme which would allow
interested clients to leverage the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in the
development of their businesses, specifically to increase the access to new markets.
DevNet is an non-governmental organisation which promotes the use of Information and
Communications Technologies for Development. DevNet conducted the Feasibility Study for an Ecommerce Development Programme for the EDC.
The terms of reference for this feasibility study are to :
1. Review the national environment (legislation, infrastructure, policy, capacity) and recommend a
framework for the level and type of e-commerce activities which are possible in the existing
environment
2. Survey IPED clients to determine their readiness to use ICTs to enhance their enterprises. This
survey was done in specific sectors
3. Recommend the components of an appropriate programme for IPED to offer its clients to
enable them to effectively use ICTs for e-business.
4. Identify the components of an advocacy strategy for IPED to support e-commerce development
in Guyana
5. Review the opportunities for m-commerce in Guyana

C. What is e-commerce?
E-commerce has been referred to as 'business done electronically1' , but this concept is complex and
there are many definitions.
A broad definition of e-commerce is the use by enterprises of Information and Communications
Technologies to keep in contact with customers and suppliers. The OECD has two definitions : a broad
definition which refers to the sale or purchase of goods or services, whether between businesses,
1 Draft Bill for Stakeholder Discussion - Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, April 2005
http://www.mintic.gov.gy/e-commerce.html

households, individuals, governments, and other public or private organisations, conducted over
computer- mediated networks. The goods and services are ordered over those networks, but the
payment and the ultimate delivery of the good or service may be conducted on or off-line.
There is a narrow definition which restricts the computer mediated networks to the Internet.
The e-ASEAN Task Force proposed a complete definition E-commerce is the use of electronic
communications and digital information processing technology in business transactions to create,
transform, and redefine relationships for value creation between or among organizations, and between
organizations and individuals 2
E-commerce also refers to the electronic exchange of information pre-sales and to the use of electronic
communications for after sales support.3
The different types of e-commerce are business-to-business (B2B); business-to-consumer (B2C);
business-to-government (B2G); consumer-to-consumer (C2C); and mobile commerce (m-commerce)
B2B e-commerce refers to the e-commerce between companies and includes supplier chain processing,
application hosting (e.g. for inventory and financial management); distribution and transportation
management. This is estimated to be the largest form of e-commerce.
B2C e-commerce refers to the relationships between businesses and individual consumers. It involves
the consumers seeking product information, and actually purchasing the products whether physical
products , services, information goods and the after sales support of these products and services. In
some instances, this form also includes the delivery of information goods (such as software, electronic
material, etc.) The models of B2C e-commerce range from the ability to advertise and receive orders
for products and services online, to those which involve the complete purchase to delivery and after
sales support online.
B2G e-commerce refers to the relationship between businesses and the public sector for public
procurement, payment of licensing fees, duties and taxes and for conducting other business with the
public sector. This form of e-commerce requires a strong commitment from the public sector to ecommerce , especially with public procurement.
C2C e-commerce refers to the e-commerce between private individuals as consumers facilitated by
technology e.g. auction sites such as e-Bay. Consumer to business e-commerce refers to the type of ecommerce where Consumers lead the transactions and negotiations e.g. a consumer looking for a
particular property, and real estate agents reply with bids.
M-commerce (mobile commerce) refers to the use of hand held wireless devices such as mobile
phones, PDAs, etc. for commercial transactions. This type of includes the ability to order and confirm
products and services immediately, and to check on financial services and telecommunications
services. Annex 1 to this report has the subsection on the opportunities for m-commerce in Guyana.
2 E-commerce and e-business e-ASEAN Task Force, e-primer, May 2003
3 A Rainbow Technology for a Rainbow People: E-Business Capacity Development for the CARICOM
Alwyn Didar Singh, 2001

It is important to note that

E-commerce is more than buying and selling on the internet it includes a range of applications
of Information and Communications Technologies to achieve the business goals
E-commerce can be applied in stages from use of email to stay in contact with customers and
suppliers, to the use of dynamic websites to process orders and payments and enable contact for
after sales support.
E-commerce techniques could be applied to parts of a business and not the entire business
E-commerce goals should be linked to business goals, some successful entrepreneurs would
probably not need e-commerce to grow their businesses
E-commerce also offers opportunities of completely new kinds of business which would be
based on offering ICT enabled products and services (e.g. website design, graphics design,
document preparation, translation, etc.)
E-commerce is not only about the technology, but involves rethinking ways of doing business

D. Readiness for e-commerce in Guyana

Guyana's readiness for e-commerce can been assessed against a framework based on two approaches.
The UNCTAD Background Paper Electronic Commerce Strategies for Development:
The Basic Elements of an Enabling Environment for E-Commerce noted that there are some common
elements in national strategies which would enable e-commerce. These, incorporated with the Harvard
e-readiness guide from www.readinessguide.org provide criteria for assessing Guyana's current ereadiness for e-commerce and describing the environment in which IPED's clients are operating.

D.1 Access and Infrastructure

Internet quality, affordability The telecommunications provider GT&T maintains a monopoly on
and availability
land-line and Internet infrastructure.
The costs of dial up connections and DSL are high relative to the
average household income.4 There are options for wireless connections
which are costed on par with the wired connections. There have been
indications that the costs will reduce with the advent of competition and
other options for bandwidth.

Electricity

The unreliable electricity supply continues to be a source of concern to

4 The 1999 Living Standards Measurement Survey suggested an average monthly income of USD275. DSL residential
rates are USD50 while unlimited dialup access is USD30.

many businesses. The cost of investment in IT is increased by the need

to have protection and backup electricity supply sometimes as much
as 50%.
Many micro and small entrepreneurs rely on the standard electricity
supply through the main electricity provider.
Hardware and Software

Hardware is available in Guyana for sale, with no VAT or duties on

computer equipment. The absence of intellectual property legislation
has enabled the availability of proprietary software at little or no
additional cost. This could pose a problem when Guyana implements
Intellectual Property legislation.

Other Infrastructure

The ability for micro and small entrepreneurs to deliver their products
retail rely on effective transportation networks. The coastland is served
by a road network but the cost of transportation in the hinterland
increases the costs for distribution of products from these areas.

D.2 Awareness building and education

Literacy

There are concerns about the low levels of functional literacy in Guyana.
Functional literacy is a critical asset in the information and knowledge
economy since information sharing requires the ability to create information
and to communicate effectively across borders.
The growth in digital literacy has been supported by the drive to introduce IT
education in schools. At the same time, there are private sector training
enterprises which continue to offer training services. The ability to
communicate in English is an asset,

Computers in Schools The Government has committed to providing computer skills education in
schools and is working to make Information Technology a compulsory
subject. This vision is limited by the ability to deploy enough equipment and
to have trained teachers in all the schools. The President has indicated that he
will be working on making low cost equipment available to schools and
communities.
ICT Professionals

The University of Guyana has a degree programme in Computer Science.

There are other training opportunities which are available. However,
anecdotal evidence suggests that many of the persons with these skills migrate
from Guyana. There are claims of underemployment of persons who have
trained in this area as well.

General Awareness

There have been several efforts to promote e-commerce awareness in

Guyana. The efforts have fluctuated, since there is a belief that the
telecommunications sector must be liberalised before the full benefits of ecommerce can be realised.
Stabroek News at the time of this report has a series of articles focussed on the
legal aspects related to electronic transactions. Some business owners in
Guyana outside the tourism sector have built retail websites while other small
businesses have promoted their products and services using the Internet. Some
website developers in Guyana offer e-commerce solutions which are based on
third party providers.

D. 3 Legal and Regulatory issues

Banking
Payments

and

Online The banks are now offering various debit and credit cards to customers
in Guyana who can no pay for services online. The Bank of Nova
Scotia offers a merchant account solution to facilitate the processing of
credit card payments , including online payments. The transaction costs
of processing in Guyana however restrict such payments to businesses
which have low volume high value transactions or to the hotel industry.
Other credit transfer options such as PayPal exist but there are various
opinions of its usage for micro and small entrepreneurs.

Electronic transactions

The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce had drafted a

National E-Commerce Bill in 2005. This bill seeks to deal with
electronic transactions and related issues. The absence of this
legislation would limit the recourse to the courts if there are disputes
on some transactions.

Telecommunications reform

The Government has been pursuing reform of the Telecommunications

sector to liberalise the sector and to improve the availability of
telecoms services. The current monopoly with GT&T is scheduled to
end in 2015

D. 4 Sector specific policies to promote e-commerce

ICT
Sector

The Guyana Office for Investment5 has promoted Guyana as a viable location for IT enabled
services such as call centres, and for some forms of Business Process Outsourcing.
The taxation policy enables investment. Special incentives are offered to investors in this
sector.

5 Http://www.goinvest.gov.gy

Other There are no specific e-commerce policy sections for the other economic sectors. The
sectors following initiatives are noted :Agriculture
The New Guyana Marketing Corporation maintains its website at http://www.newgmc.com
as a useful resource for doing business with, and from Guyana, in the fresh produce and
processed non-traditional agricultural sector.
The New GMC manages in collaboration with Digicel, an Agriculture Market Information
Service in which persons can use SMS text to keep updated on wholesale and retail prices for
commodities.
This includes Livestock, Fishing and Farming. The Forestry Sector has no specific policies
though there is interest in promoting value added forestry in Guyana.
Tourism
There is no clear policy for e-commerce and the tourism sector in Guyana. The UNCTAD
Background Report - Electronic commerce and tourism : New perspectives and challenges
for developing countries July 2000 suggests that A developing country tourism producer
may find it advantageous to establish and broaden its online offer by including booking for
other local producers in an effort to offer consumers a comprehensive tourist product. Both
private and public sector "destination marketing organizations" (DMOs) in developing
countries should adopt a total internet strategy and by example and assistance should
encourage all domestic industry players to do the same. 6
The Guyana Tourism Authority maintains a website for birding enthusiasts. The GTA
website has changed and does not list tourism and hospitality providers in Guyana at the
moment. The Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana provides links to the websites
of its members. The site http://www.lindentourism.com promotes travel opportunities around
Linden. Destination Guyana however is still not very visible on the Internet.
Manufacturing and Services
The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association shares a list of their membership
organised by sector on their website at http://www.gma.org.gy

D.5 E-government
Strategies

The Government has a draft ICT Strategy which is available from

http://www.ict4d.gov.gy . There has been no update to the strategy or any commitment
to implementation of the various sectors. The Office of the President has oversight of
the Telecommunications Sector and is overseeing the developments in the sector.

6 UNCTAD Background Report - Electronic commerce and tourism : New perspectives and challenges for developing
countries July 2000 available from http://www.unctad.org

Specific
initiatives

Public sector agencies have been using ICT to improve their internal processes. The
Guyana Revenue Authority has been implementing several internal computerised
systems to improve its service to the public. The Ministry of Home Affairs has
digitised sections of the processing for passport applications.
The interface with the public however requires face to face interaction in most
instances.

D.6 How can e-commerce be conducted in Guyana?

There are different case studies of SMEs using e-commerce in Guyana. Some examples are :1. The website developer who negotiates with her clients on Skype and via email, and then
receives payments through bank transfers;
2. The knowledge worker who performs research and is paid via a bank transfer to an account of
his choice;
3. The graphics designer who uses his website and various social networks to advertise his work,
and is paid via a money transfer scheme
4. The hotels and guest houses which accept and confirm reservations via email
5. The tour operators who advertise on the Internet with their websites, and then make
arrangements and confirm bookings via email
6. The travel agents who negotiate their tickets with passengers via email or chat; and then receive
payments at a later date in person
7. The small business offers a service for institutions who want to do e-learning.
8. The service technician who purchases spare parts on the Internet for customers
9. An auditor liaises with his NGO client, all letters are transacted electronically, some of the
accounting records are transferred electronically , saving on the need to visit the office of the
client.
10. The journalist who lives in Guyana and does editing services for a news agency based in
another country and is paid via wire transfer or money transfer services
These cases show that some business processes can benefit from e-commerce techniques within the
current environment as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 : Business Processes and associated e-commerce techniques which are feasible in Guyana
Business Process

E-commerce technique

Marketing and Sales

Use of the Internet to advertise products and services and to connect with
customers (and suppliers) . Web searches also reveal competitors' products

10

and prices. The Internet can be used to share customers feedback common
especially in the tourism sector where visitors for example would comment
on hotels , restaurants and other services. Register with online databases
Order processing

Using email exchanges, voice chat to communicate with prospective

clients. Some businesses are happy with scanned contract documents, and
purchase orders . Improving relationships with existing customers and
suppliers with whom some level of trust already exists.

Invoicing and payments Accepting payments by wire transfer or money transfer services, or in
payment. There are payment intermediary services such as Paypal which
facilitate payments. These however operate outside of financial regulators
and are themselves e-commerce ventures. The Merchant Account services
which are available in Guyana are not feasible for micro or SMEs.
After sales support and Using email , chat for after sales support and service; posting frequently
service
asked questions on websites; soliciting feedback
Back office processes

Using the Internet to identify supplies , new processing technologies, to

identify new sources of items and to make contact with them

E. E-readiness of IPED clients

E.1 Framework for E-readiness of IPED Clients
A guide for United States Agency for International Development (USAID)7 suggests a framework
which a business could use to assess its readiness for e-commerce. This framework applied to SMEs
but some of the criterion could be used by micro-entrepreneurs.
Criteria

Issues

Motivation for e-commerce

The entrepreneur should be clear of the expectations of e-commerce.

There should be some familiarity with the issues and the technology. In
some cases, e.g. the tourism sector, there is no choice but to get
involved in e-commerce. Is the entrepreneur willing to invest the time
and resources needed to change the business to accommodate the new
techniques?

Identification of e-commerce The entrepreneur should do an analysis of their current position in terms
opportunities
of product analysis, market access, business practices successful and
unsuccessful; access to technology, skills to use technology, plans for
growing business and entering into new markets. The entrepreneur
should also check on incentives in the sector for e-commerce and what
the trends are for making contact with suppliers and new customers. Is
7 E-Commerce readiness for SMEs in developing countries: A guide for development professionals by Judith E. Payne,
Academy for Educational Development and available for http://www.is-watch.net/node/598

11

Criteria

Issues
the diaspora a potential market?

Identification of business The entrepreneur should be decide on which aspects of the business
processes which could be would benefit from e-commerce. There is usually a phased approach,
changed
starting with improving customer relations with email/mobile
communications.
Selection of
techniques

e-commerce The entrepreneur should have some awareness of the options and be
able
to
investigate
the
options
available
types,
costs, access points, lead-time needed to obtain technology, support
available, extent of use by suppliers, market providers.

Awareness of geography,
sectoral
considerations,
infrastructure as part of the
context

The entrepreneur should be aware of issues which are affecting national

implementations of e-commerce, paying attention to legislation,
policies, etc. There might be constraints in terms of the location of the
entrepreneur so access to some markets might not be feasible because
of transportation costs for example. There might be a need to invest in
additional sources of electricity for example.

E.2 Survey to determine e-readiness of IPED clients

IPED had agreed to use a sample of their existing client base to survey their readiness for e-commerce
(e-readiness) . The survey instrument is in Annex 2 to this report. The survey was administered via
telephone to a sample size of 51 clients distributed by sector as follows :-

Sector

Number of respondents

Agriculture

Distribution

Fishing

Forestry

Livestock

Manufacturing

29

Services

TOTAL

51

Sampling and Interview Methodology

IPED selected a random sample of their clients from different sectors The clients were informed before
12

the start of the survey. The interviewers had to confirm the willingness of the respondents to
participate. This took some time since there was some logistical challenges in getting letters out to the
prospective respondents. The survey was conducted between May and October 2009. Most of the
persons expressed willingness to answer the questions. In some cases, there was a time factor, e.g. the
persons had to be dealing with their businesses and could not remain on the phone.
The use of the phone enabled a wider cross section of participants from a larger geographical area.

E.3 Results of the Survey

The detailed results of the survey are in Annex 3 to this report. The profile of the respondent is a sole
trader with one or two employees. Most of the respondents did not use computers for their businesses.
The results of the survey can be reflected in the framework from Section E.2
Motivation for e-commerce
The clients who were surveyed did not know about e-commerce. Only 1 of the respondents had heard
the term. This indicates a low level of awareness which would influence the motivation to ecommerce. 25% of the respondents indicated that they had an interest in learning more about ecommerce.
Identification of e-commerce opportunities
The majority of the respondents indicated the customers lived near them, and a few had clients who
were outside of Guyana. Some of the respondents did business with tourists. None of the clients had a
website or had plans to build one, though some were aware that their competitors had websites. Most of
them do not import regularly , nor are they involved in exporting. Customers tended to be mostly
individuals rather than other businesses, so the opportunities for B2B e-commerce would not appear to
be important.
Identification of business processes which could be changed
The persons who had a computer most used it for word processing and printing. Those with internet
access used for email and browsing with a few (2) using it for phone calls (VOIP or Skype) or online
purchasing. None indicated doing online banking. None of the respondents indicated whether they had
interest in use for contact with customers and suppliers. 31% of the respondents indicated that they
could not afford a computer but would be interested in having one.
Selection of e-commerce techniques
The majority of the respondents did not own a computer. There is wide ownership of cell phones, some
persons had two, though persons had not transferred phone credit as payment for goods or services. A
few persons were able to access the Internet on their phones. There is a low level of ICT skills in the
client base surveyed. A minority of persons were willing to invest some amounts in e-commerce. Most
of the respondents did not have an e-mail address.8
8 An observation was made that many of the small and micro-businesses which participate in international trade
expositions with the support of the Government do not have email addresses on their business cards, and some potential

13

Awareness of geography, sectoral considerations, infrastructure as part of the context

The questions related to the context for e-commerce were not answered by the majority. The one
person who answered about legal issues indicated that they did not have any concerns.
These results indicate that the existing IPED client base shows a tendency not to be ready for ecommerce activities given their current knowledge and capacities.

F. Recommendations for IPED's e-commerce development

programme
The recommendations for IPED's e-commerce development programme takes into consideration the
low level of e-commerce awareness in the community of IPED clients and potential clients; and the low
level of national e-readiness for e-commerce.
IPED could therefore consider the following :1. Engaging in awareness raising
IPED could raise awareness through various mechanisms, by discussing e-commerce as part of their
information and entrepreneurial development sessions, providing information (the Resources section of
this report lists some information which could be tailored for Guyana) and discussing case studies of ecommerce users. IPED's interest in e-commerce could also be shared with prospective entrepreneurs in
the tourism and hospitality service industries and other specific sectors. The importance of literacy
should be a part of the awareness raising.
2. Training
IPED could integrate e-commerce techniques into existing training programmes, for example the use of
web tools for staying in touch with customers and building customer loyalties. Specific ICT skills such
as word processing, email and Internet use should be linked to business processes rather than separate
from the business training. Alternatively, collaboration could be established with other IT training
agencies to develop the appropriate programmes at appropriate costs.
3. Promoting clients products and services through an IPED portal
The clients who are desirous of advertising their products and services through IPED could do that
through a portal developed by IPED. IPED's endorsement will give potential customers some
confidence when doing business with the entrepreneurs who are clients. The IPED clients should be
able to at the minimum handle e-mail interchanges. IPED might not be able to do this as a for payment
service since it would require some further usage to show what benefits would accrue to the IPED
customers

overseas customers are often bemused as to how the entrepreneurs intended to keep contact.

14

4. Participation in the national discussions to stimulate the growth of e-commerce

IPED should use its influence to advocate on behalf of micro-entrepreneurs for the conditions
necessary to stimulate e-commerce. The advocacy strategy should address the following issues : the need for remedial literacy programmes to promote functional literacy. Literacy is essential
to an information based economy
the passing of the National E-commerce Bill which would legislate for electronic transactions
the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector
the regulation of the cost of Internet bandwidth
the implementation of the National Information and Communications for Development
(ICT4D) Strategy

G. Resources
Policy
National ICT4D Strategy 2006 available from http://www.ict4d.org

Consultation Papers on the National E-commerce legalisation available from the Ministry of
Tourism, Industry and Commerce website at http://www.mintic.gov.gy/e-commerce.html

Training and Awareness Resources

eCommerce for Small Enterprise Development: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs in Developing
Countries , Richard Heeks et al, Institute for Development Policy and Management (IDPM),
University of Manchester, UK. This and other handbooks offer information sheets for
entrepreneurs which can be modified for Guyana , and they are available from
http://www.ecomm4dev.org/handbooks.htm

E-Commerce Readiness for SMEs in Developing Countries: A Guide for Development

Professionals , Judith E. Payne , accessible from http://www.is-watch.net/node/598
This document contains information which could guide a training curriculum.

Submitted by DevNet, November 2009

Report prepared by Andrew Mancey and Vidyaratha Kissoon
email [email protected]

15

Annex 1 : Opportunities for m-commerce in Guyana

The liberalisation of the cellular market has resulted in a proliferation of mobile phones and other
devices in Guyana as in other parts of the world. There is global interest in m-commerce, the use of
mobile phones and other mobile devices for financial transactions to purchase goods and services. The
growth in use of 'smartphones' which enable web browsing also presents opportunities which are being
realised. A Business Week article suggests that m-commerce is growing rapidly in the United States9 .
There are some products such as ringtones and games which are specific to the mobile market. Mcommerce has offered advantages for on the road purchasing, easy payments, and consumers in Asia
were the first to participate in mobile payments.
The entrepreneurs who wish to engage in m-commerce have to consider the following :

websites and other applications have to be designed specifically for mobile devices and this
would be an extra investment

privacy and security concerns remain for example when financial data is being transferred via
mobile networks

the capacity of mobile networks to handle increased data traffic

the ability to process micro-payments the cost of some products and services would be below
the feasibility for the merchant bank accounting charges in Guyana

Cellular service providers would also have to provide some services to enable secure payment for
goods and services outside of the credit system used to pay for cellular airtime . The cellular service
providers in Guyana do not offer these services and there are no public announcements as to when
these would be available.
Some entrepreneurs would probably start offering services which use other payment options. The
opportunities for m-commerce are therefore limited to the use of the mobile phones to negotiate
transactions and to offer customer support which is not restricted to the availability of a land line.
IPED should however remain aware of the national discussions which are going to be inevitable as
local entrepreneurs seek new ways of accessing their customers.

9 M-Commerce's Big Moment by Olga Kharif, Business Week 11 October, 2009 and accessed from
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2009/tc20091011_278825.htm

16

Annex 2 : Questionnaire used as part of Survey of IPED Clients 2009

This survey is collecting data for a project jointly funded by IPED and DevNet. IPED has contracted
DevNet to do a random survey of their clients about their interest in using information technology and
the internet to do business, or e-commerce.
This survey would take about 15 minutes to complete.
Created for IPED e-commerce project
There are 45 questions in this survey
Your business
1 Business name (if any)
Please write your answer here:
2 Location
Please write your answer here:
3 Your name *
Please write your answer here:
4 Phone number(s) *
Please write your answer here:
5 Email address (if any)
Please write your answer here:
6 Web site address (if any)
Please write your answer here:
7 Number of full-time employees (approx.) *
Please choose only one of the following:
* 3 or less 3 or less
* 4 to 10 4 to 10
17

* 11 to 50 11 to 50
* more than 50 more than 50
* Other Other
8 Sector
Please write your answer here:
Your products and services
9 Please list briefly the kind of products and services you produce
Please write your answer here:
10 Does your business import?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes Yes
* Sometimes Sometimes
* No No
11 What do you import?
[Only answer this question if you have NOT answered 'No' to question '2 ]
Please write your answer here:
12 Do you import every month?
[Only answer this question if you have NOT answered 'No' to question '2 ]
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes Yes
* No No
* Other Other
13 How important is this to your business?
[Only answer this question if you have NOT answered 'No' to question '2 ]
Please choose only one of the following:
18

* Very Very
* Moderately Moderately
* Not very Not very
14 Does your business export?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes Yes
* Sometimes Sometimes
* No No
15 What do you export?
[Only answer this question if you have NOT answered 'No' to question '6 ]
Please write your answer here:
16 Do you export every month?
[Only answer this question if you have NOT answered 'No' to question '6 ]
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes Yes
* No No
* Other Other
17 How important is this to your business?
[Only answer this question if you have NOT answered 'No' to question '6 ]
Please choose only one of the following:
* Very Very
* Moderately Moderately
* Not very Not very
Your customers
18 Are your business customers small or large companies / organisations or are they individuals?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Individuals Individuals
19

* Small Small
* Large Large
* Mixed Mixed
* Other Other
19 The customers I am trying to reach are
Please choose all that apply:
* Low income Low income
* Middle income Middle income
* High income High income
* In my locality In my locality
* In Guyana In Guyana
* The diaspora The diaspora
* Overseas Overseas
* Children Children
* Youth Youth
* Adults Adults
* Local Local
* Tourists Tourists
* Other:
20 Do you communicate with clients overseas?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes Yes
* Sometimes Sometimes
* No No
21 How important is this to your business?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Very Very
* Moderately Moderately
* Not very Not very
IT in your business
22 A computer in your business - do you *
Please choose only one of the following:
20

* have one or more computers you use for business? have one or more computers you use for
business?
* use a computer at a caf or elsewhere when you need to? use a computer at a face or elsewhere
when you need to?
* want to buy a computer but cannot afford it? want to buy a computer but cannot afford it?
* have no interest in using or owning a computer? have no interest in using or owning a computer?
* Other Other
23 Do you use the internet yourself?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Many times per week Many times per week
* A few times a week A few times a week
* A few times a month A few times a month
* Someone else does that Someone else does that
* We don't use it We don't use it
* Other Other
24 What type of internet access do you have?
Please choose only one of the following:
* None
* Dialup
* DSL
* Wireless
Use internet caf
Other
25 What do you use computers for?
[Only answer this question if you have NOT answered 'have no interest in using or owning a
computer?' to question '1 ]
Please choose all that apply:
* Word processing Word processing
* Billing Billing
* Payroll Payroll
21

* Point of sale Point of sale

* Inventory Inventory
* Graphics Graphics
* Printing Printing
* Email Email
* Browsing Browsing
* Online banking Online banking
* Online purchases Online purchases
* Forums Forums
* Social networks Social networks
* Making phone calls e.g. Skype Making phone calls e.g. Skype
* Other:
26 Number of computers in business use *
Please choose only one of the following:
* None None
*11
*22
* 3-5 3-5
* 6-10 6-10
* more than 10 more than 10
* Other Other
27 Computer operating systems used
[Only answer this question if you have NOT answered 'None' to question '5 ]
Please choose all that apply:
* Windows XP Windows XP
* Windows Vista Windows Vista
* Mac Mac
* Linux Linux
* Other:
28 Do you have a local network?
[Only answer this question if you have NOT answered 'None' to question '5 ]
Please choose only one of the following:
22

* Cable Cable
* Wireless Wireless
* No No
* Not sure Not sure
* Other Other
29 Do some of your employees have ICT skills?
Please choose only one of the following:
* High level High level
* Low level Low level
* No No
* Not sure Not sure
30 Do you have a computer technician / manager on staff?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes Yes
* No No
* Other Other
31 Does your business have a web site?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes Yes
* No No
* Hope to have soon Hope to have soon
* Other Other
32 Do any of your competitors have web sites?
Please choose only one of the following:
* No No
* Yes Yes
* Other Other

23

33 Do you have a cell phone? *

Please choose all that apply:
* Yes (Digicell) Yes (Digicell)
* Yes (GTT) Yes (GTT)
* No No
* Don't need one Don't need one
* Too expensive Too expensive
* Other:
34 If so do you have internet on your cell phone?
[Only answer this question if you have NOT answered 'No' to question '12 ]
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes Yes
* No No
* Not sure Not sure
* Other Other
35 Have you used a cell phone to transfer credit to another person?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes Yes
* No No
* Hope to do so soon Hope to do so soon
* Other Other
36 Have you ever exchanged credit with customers or suppliers for goods or services using a cell
phone?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes Yes
* No No
* Hope to do so soon Hope to do so soon
* Other Other

24

37 Do you understand the term 'e-commerce'? *

Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes Yes
* No No
* Other Other
38 Do you have any concerns about legal issues in Guyana regarding e-commerce? *
[Only answer this question if you answered 'Yes' to question '16 ]
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes Yes
* No No
* Not sure Not sure
* Other Other
39 Are you able to purchase items online for your business?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes using a card Yes using a card
* No No
* Other Other
40 Do you have a way of accepting online payments made to you?
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes for card payments Yes for card payments
* No No
* Other Other
Your plans for the future
41 Do you have a written plan for 2009/2010? *
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes Yes
25

* No No
* I have a plan but not written down I have a plan but not written down
* Other Other
42 How interested are you in e-business or e-commerce? *
Please choose only one of the following:
* Very Very
* Moderately Moderately
* Not right now Not right now
* Other Other
43 How much are you willing to invest in e-business or e-commerce?
[Only answer this question if you have NOT answered 'Not right now' to question '2 ]
Please choose only one of the following:
* Nothing Nothing
* G$5 000 G$5 000
* G$50 000 G$50 000
* G$500 000 G$500 000
* Not sure Not sure
* Other Other
44 What aspect of e-business do you think you can benefit from at this time?
[Only answer this question if you have NOT answered 'Not right now' to question '2 ]
Please write your answer here:
45 And does your plan, if any, include e-business or e-commerce?
[Only answer this question if you have NOT answered 'Not right now' to question '2 ]
Please choose only one of the following:
* Yes Yes
* No No
Other Other
Thank you for completing this survey.
26

Annex 3 : Detailed analysis of survey responses

1. Sectors represented
Although an attempt was made to equally represent all sectors this proved impossible as the original
lists did not have equal numbers and many persons could not be reached by phone especially in rural
areas. The representation of the sectors in the completed survey was as follows:
Sector

Number of respondents

Agriculture

Distribution

Fishing

Forestry

Livestock

Manufacturing

29

Services

TOTAL

51

Contact phone numbers of a total of 142 persons were used in this survey in order to reach and get a
response form 51 persons. Those persons from whom no response was obtained were almost all
unreachable due to the number no longer being in use, change of address, voice mail only etc.

2. Summary by question
2.1 Business details
Phone number
Question summary for 4:
Phone number(s)
Answer
No answer

51
0

100.00%
0.00%

All persons had a functioning phone number due to the method by which they were contacted.
27

Email address
Question summary for 5:
Email address (if any)
Have address
None

5
46

10%
90%

Only 5 persons had an email address which is a good indicator of their general e-readiness.
Breakdown by sector of positive response: Agriculture 1 Manufacturing 4
Web site
Question summary for 6:
Web site address (if any)
Have web site
None

0
51

0.00%
100.00%

None of those surveyed currently had a web site.

Size of business
Question summary for 7:
Number of full-time employees (approx.)
Answer
Count
3 or less (a)
46
4 to 10 (b)
6
11 to 50 (c)
0
more than 50 (d)
0
No answer
0

Percentage
%
11.76%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%

The businesses were very small, mostly single person enterprises, with none over 10 persons.
Breakdown by sector of 4 or more employees : Distribution 1 Fishing 1 Forestry 1 Manufacturing 3
Sector
28

Question 8. See above for breakdown by sector.

Question 9. The answers given for this question (list briefly the kind of products and services you
produce) gave more detail for question 8 and could not be summarised easily.

2.2. Products and services

Importing

Answer
Yes (a)
Sometimes (b)
No (c)
No answer

Question summary for 10:

Does your business import?
Count
2
4
45
0

Percentage
3.92%
7.84%
88.24%
0.00%

Answer
Yes (a)
No (b)
Other
No answer

Question summary for 12:

Do you import every month?
Count
0
3
3
45

Percentage
0.00%
5.88%
5.88%
88.24%

Question summary for 13:

How important is this to your business?
Answer
Count
Very (a)
3
Moderately (b)
2
Not very (c)
1
No answer
45

Percentage
5.88%
3.92%
1.96%
88.24%

A review of all the responses regarding importation showed that the great majority (88%) did not
import. Of the few who did half of these (6%) regarded this as very important for their business. None
imported frequently, usually a few times per year.
29

Breakdown by sector of importing : Distribution 1 Forestry 1 Manufacturing 4

Question 11 (What do you import) had the following responses:
Stationery
Machinery for the business
Islamic products
Sports and electrical goods
Craft materials
Ribbons, flowers
Ready made clothing from USA
Exporting

Answer
Yes (a)
Sometimes (b)
No (c)
No answer

Question summary for 14:

Does your business export?
Count
4
3
44
0

Percentage
7.84%
5.88%
86.27%
0.00%

Answer
Yes (a)
No (b)
Other
No answer

Question summary for 15:

Do you export every month?
Count
1
3
3
44

Percentage
1.96%
5.88%
5.88%
86.27%

Question summary for 16:

How important is this to your business?
Answer
Count
Very (a)
6
Moderately (b)
0
Not very (c)
1
30

Percentage
11.76%
0.00%
1.96%

No answer

44

86.27%

The pattern for exportation is very similar to that of importation. The analysis shows that the great
majority (86%) did not export. Of the few who did most of these (12%) regarded this as very important
for their business. Only one imported frequently, most a few times per year.
Breakdown by sector of exporting : Manufacturing 7 (all)
Question 15 (What do you import) had the following responses:
Nettings and nightgowns
Craft items (2)
Doors and shutters
Jewellery
Nibbi furniture
Cushions

2.3 Customers
Question summary for 18:
Are your business customers small or large companies / organisations or are they
individuals?
Answer
Count
Percentage
Individuals (a)
35
68.63%
Small (b)
4
7.84%
Large (c)
0
0.00%
Mixed (d)
11
21.57%
Other
1
1.96%
No answer
0
0.00%
Question summary for 19:
The customers I am trying to reach are
Answer
Count
Low income (a)
16
Middle income (b)
17
High income (c)
4
In my locality (d)
27
In Guyana (e)
29
31

Percentage
31.37%
33.33%
7.84%
52.94%
56.86%

The diaspora (f)

Overseas (g)
Children (h)
Youth (i)
Adults (j)
Local (k)
Tourists (l)
Other

1
8
6
8
10
7
8
6

1.96%
15.69%
11.76%
15.69%
19.61%
13.73%
15.69%
11.76%

The analysis showed a range of customers but with a strong preference for selling to individuals (69%)
and none selling to large companies. Other characteristics varied but with preference for low and
middle income customers in the immediate locality or in Guyana. A small but significant percentage
were trying to reach overseas customers (16%) and tourists (16%).
Communicating with clients overseas
Question summary for 20:
Do you communicate with clients overseas?
Answer
Count
Yes (a)
3
Sometimes (b)
2
No (c)
44
No answer
2

Percentage
5.88%
3.92%
86.27%
3.92%

Question summary for 21:

How important is this to your business?
Answer
Count
Very (a)
4
Moderately (b)
1
Not very (c)
9
No answer
37

Percentage
7.84%
1.96%
17.65%
72.55%

These responses reflected a low involvement in import/export. Only 5 survey respondents (10%)
communicate with clients overseas.
Breakdown by sector of communicating with clients overseas: Distribution 1 Manufacturing 4

32

2.4 IT in business
Using a computer in business
Question summary for 22:
A computer in your business - do you
Answer
Count
have one or more computers you use for
9
business? (a)
use a computer at a caf or elsewhere when you
0
need to? (b)
want to buy a computer but cannot afford it? (c)
16
have no interest in using or owning a
19
computer? (d)
Other
7
No answer
0

Percentage
17.65%
0.00%
31.37%
37.25%
13.73%
0.00%

The responses showed a low level of computer ownership (18%) while nearly twice that number (31%)
indicated an interest in buying one but being unable to afford the cost. The responses under 'Other'
were negative.
The low level of computer ownership meant that few respondents answered some of the following
questions.
Breakdown by sector of having a computer : Agriculture 1 Distribution 1 Forestry 1 Manufacturing 4
Services 2
Using the internet
Question summary for 23:
Do you use the internet yourself?
Answer
Count
Many times per week (a)
5
A few times a week (b)
3
A few times a month (c)
0
Someone else does that (d)
1
We don't use it (e)
36
Other
5
33

Percentage
9.80%
5.88%
0.00%
1.96%
70.59%
9.80%

No answer

Question summary for 24:

What type of internet access do you have?
Answer
Count
None (a)
38
Dialup (b)
3
DSL (c)
2
Wireless (d)
1
Use internet caf (e)
5
Other
2
No answer
0

1.96%

Percentage
74.51%
5.88%
3.92%
1.96%
9.80%
3.92%
0.00%

The number of businesses with internet access was very low (12%). This was significantly less than the
number owning a computer (17%) so that there were a number (7%) of businesses which could
probably gain internet access relatively easily.
The number using an internet caf was small but significant (10%). These businesses showed a definite
interest in using the internet.
Breakdown by sector of using the internet : Agriculture 1 Distribution 1 Manufacturing 6 Services 1
Breakdown by sector of using an internet caf : Agriculture 1 Forestry 1 Services 3
Computer use
Question summary for 25:
What do you use computers for?
Answer
Count
Word processing (a)
7
Billing (b)
2
Payroll (c)
0
Point of sale (d)
0
Inventory (e)
3
Graphics (f)
2
Printing (g)
6
34

Percentage
13.73%
3.92%
0.00%
0.00%
5.88%
3.92%
11.76%

Email (h)
Browsing (i)
Online banking (j)
Online purchases (k)
Forums (l)
Social networks (m)
Making phone calls e.g. Skype (n)
Other

6
6
0
2
0
0
2
9

11.76%
11.76%
0.00%
3.92%
0.00%
0.00%
3.92%
17.65%

This question was only answered by those owning a computer. Of those answering this question (9)
most used it for word processing and printing. Those with internet access used for email and browsing
with a few (2) using it for phone calls (VOIP or Skype) or online purchasing. None indicated doing
online banking.
Numbers of computers
Question summary for 26:
Number of computers in business use
Answer
Count
None (a)
41
1 (b)
9
2 (c)
1
3-5 (d)
0
6-10 (e)
0
more than 10 (f)
0
Other
0
No answer
0

Percentage
80.39%
17.65%
1.96%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%

The responses to this question indicated that all businesses surveyed who had a computer had only one
except for one business which had two computers.
Operating system

Answer
35

Question summary for 27:

Computer operating systems used
Count

Percentage

Windows XP (a)
Windows Vista (b)
Mac (c)
Linux (d)
Other

8
3
0
0
1

15.69%
5.88%
0.00%
0.00%
1.96%

All respondents used some version of Windows except for one who was unsure.
Local Area Network

Answer
Cable (a)
Wireless (b)
No (c)
Not sure (d)
Other
No answer

Question summary for 28:

Do you have a local network?
Count
0
0
11
0
0
40

Percentage
0.00%
0.00%
21.57%
0.00%
0.00%
78.43%

No respondents had a local area network.

ICT skills on staff
Question summary for 29:
Do some of your employees have ICT skills?
Answer
Count
High level (a)
1
Low level (b)
9
No (c)
37
Not sure (d)
1
No answer
3

36

Percentage
1.96%
17.65%
72.55%
1.96%
5.88%

Question summary for 30:

Do you have a computer technician / manager on staff?
Answer
Count
Percentage
Yes (a)
0
0.00%
No (b)
50
98.04%
Other
1
1.96%
No answer
0
0.00%
No respondents had such a person on staff which was to be expected given the small size of the
businesses.
Web Site
Question summary for 31:
Does your business have a web site?
Answer
Count
Yes (a)
0
No (b)
46
Hope to have soon (c)
3
Other
0
No answer
2

Percentage
0.00%
90.20%
5.88%
0.00%
3.92%

None of the respondents had a web site but a small number (6%) hoped to have one soon.
Competitors web site
Question summary for 32:
Do any of your competitors have web sites?
Answer
Count
No (a)
13
Yes (b)
10
Other
12
No answer
16

Percentage
25.49%
19.61%
23.53%
31.37%

A significant number (20%) of those surveyed were aware that competitors had web sites. Those
responding 'Other' were unsure.
37

Breakdown by sector of positive response: Forestry 1 Manufacturing 8 Services 1

Cell phone ownership

Answer
Yes (Digicel) (a)
Yes (GTT) (b)
No (c)
Don't need one (d)
Too expensive (e)
Other

Question summary for 33:

Do you have a cell phone?
Count
25
29
5
1
1
0

Percentage
49.02%
56.86%
9.80%
1.96%
1.96%
0.00%

The use of cell phones was very wide spread (96%) with a slight preference for GTT.
Note: some had more than one phone.
Internet service on cell phone

Question summary for 34:

If so do you have internet on your cell phone?
Answer
Count
Yes (a)
6
No (b)
35
Not sure (c)
2
Other
2
No answer
6

Percentage
11.76%
68.63%
3.92%
3.92%
11.76%

A significant number of businesses had a cell phone with internet access (12%). Other responses were
positive but qualified one was not using the service and one reported that it did not work well.
Adding these gives a total of 16%.
Breakdown by sector of positive response: Manufacturing 6 (all)
Transfer of credit by cell phone
38

Question summary for 35:

Have you used a cell phone to transfer credit to another person?
Answer
Count
Percentage
Yes (a)
8
15.69%
No (b)
43
84.31%
Hope to do so soon (c)
0
0.00%
Other
0
0.00%
No answer
0
0.00%
Again a significant number (16%) of those surveyed had transferred credit to someone else. This
indicated a higher level of use than just making calls.
Breakdown by sector of positive response: Agriculture 1 Manufacturing 6 Services 1
Using cell for payment
Question summary for 36:
Have you ever exchanged credit with customers or suppliers for goods or services using a cell
phone?
Answer
Count
Percentage
Yes (a)
0
0.00%
No (b)
51
100.00%
Hope to do so soon (c)
0
0.00%
Other
0
0.00%
No answer
0
0.00%
None of the respondents made use of this method of payment. Payment using phone credit would only
be useful under some circumstances and is not widely considered.
E-commerce
Question summary for 37:
Do you understand the term 'e-commerce'?
Answer
Count
Yes (a)
1
39

Percentage
1.96%

No (b)
Other
No answer

50
0
0

98.04%
0.00%
0.00%

Respondents showed a very low level of understanding of the term 'e-commerce'. In most cases it was
briefly explained to them.

Question summary for 38:

Do you have any concerns about legal issues in Guyana regarding e-commerce?
Answer
Count
Percentage
Yes (a)
0
0.00%
No (b)
1
1.96%
Not sure (c)
0
0.00%
Other
0
0.00%
No answer
50
98.04%
Due to the responses to the previous question only one person was asked this question.
Purchasing online
Question summary for 39:
Are you able to purchase items online for your business?
Answer
Count
Percentage
Yes using a card (a)
2
3.92%
No (b)
47
92.16%
Other
2
3.92%
No answer
0
0.00%
Only two businesses purchased online (4%) with a further two using a third party to do it for them.

Question summary for 40:

Do you have a way of accepting online payments made to you?
Answer
Count
Percentage
Yes for card payments (a)
0
0.00%
No (b)
51
100.00%
40

Other
No answer

0
0

0.00%
0.00%

None of the businesses had any way to accept online payments.

2.6 Plans for the future

Business plan
Question summary for 41:
Do you have a written plan for 2009/2010?
Answer
Count
Yes (a)
3
No (b)
21
I have a plan but not written down (c)
24
Other
3
No answer
0

Percentage
5.88%
41.18%
47.06%
5.88%
0.00%

Very few businesses had a written plan but a majority (57% including 2 'Other') had some plan or
vision (written or not).
Interest in e-commerce
Question summary for 42:
How interested are you in e-business or e-commerce?
Answer
Count
Percentage
Very (a)
4
7.84%
Moderately (b)
7
13.73%
Not right now (c)
38
74.51%
Other
2
3.92%
No answer
0
0.00%
A significant minority (25% including 2 'Other') expressed some interest in e-commerce.
Breakdown by sector of positive response (Very): Forestry 1 Manufacturing 3
Breakdown by sector of positive response (Moderately): Agriculture 1 Distribution 3 Manufacturing 2
Services 1
41

Question summary for 43:

How much are you willing to invest in e-business or e-commerce?
Answer
Count
Percentage
Nothing (a)
1
1.96%
G$5 000 (b)
1
1.96%
G$50 000 (c)
0
0.00%
G$500 000 (d)
0
0.00%
Not sure (e)
5
9.80%
Other
3
5.88%
No answer
41
80.39%
This was a difficult question for most businesses especially given the lack of a clear business plan and
the responses were not very useful.
E-Business benefit
Question summary for 44:
What aspect of e-business do you think you can benefit from at this time?
Answer
No answer

11
40

21.57%
78.43%

The answers were summarised as follows:

web site
6
internet access
2
e-commerce
4
hardware
1
bank card
1
training
1

Question summary for 45:

And does your plan, if any, include e-business or e-commerce?
Answer
Count
Percentage
Yes (a)
0
0.00%
No (b)
5
9.80%
42

Other
No answer
The 'Other' responses indicated possible future involvement.
End of Report

43

2
44

3.92%
86.27%