Chief Executive Officer of the Small Business Bureau (SBB), Shazim Ibrahim, says the agency has been tasked by the Government of Guyana to promote entrepreneurship and is expanding its suite of financing and training interventions for small enterprises, including new programmes planned for 2026.
Ibrahim highlighted the organization’s Loan Guarantee Programme as one of its “important interventions,” aimed at helping small businesses access up to $30 million in funding to scale operations and move to “the next stage” of development.
Under the programme, Ibrahim said the Bureau guarantees an interest rate of six per cent and covers between 40 and 70 per cent of collateral requirements, easing one of the key barriers small businesses often face when seeking financing.
Beyond financing, Ibrahim said the Small Business Bureau runs multiple training and development programmes at no cost to participants, covering areas such as small business management, financial management, record-keeping, and marketing.
He noted that the Bureau also offers digital marketing and general marketing training, and hosts “at least four to five training programmes per month.” Interested participants can view upcoming sessions on the Bureau’s Facebook page, “Small Business Bureau Guyana.”
