… .Algoos press ahead with customs brokerage services
NANDALALL and Sabrina Algoo operated their customs brokerage business for many years from the back of their vehicle, so it’s not hard to imagine why feelings of excitement and fulfillment permeated the opening ceremony of their new branch office on Sunday.
Little by little, the Algoos worked hard on providing a service that was efficient, reliable and reliable, even as they had not yet succeeded in acquiring office space, thus carving themselves a reputation in the industry. Mrs. Algoo was born and raised in South De Willem, West Coast Demerara (WCD), while her husband hails from Leguan Island in the Essequibo River. He reflected on their early beginnings in an interview with the Chronicle on Sunday, and could not be happier that their branch office was opened in the vicinity of where he grew up.
Their office in Public Road, Kitty, Georgetown, ran out of space to accommodate the number of staff needed for the job, especially as they have been seeing a large increase in the number of people requesting their services. The new branch office, at Public Road, Cornelia Ida, WCD, caters to their customers from the Essequibo Islands and from WCD. They have also made it a point to employ people who live in this part of the country.
“We branched away from the Georgetown office to create this one… a documentation office. I’m being corrected, but it’s the first of its kind in Guyana for a customs customs brokerage office, ”said Mrs. Algoo, as she points out may also be the only office of its kind in Region Three.
Her husband was one of seven people who wrote and passed the Guyana Finance Authority (GRA) broker exams in 2001, which had seen 75 applicants. As Mrs. explained. Algoo, while there may be many people in the business, very few of them are licensed by GRA. So after being successful in the exam, Mr. Algoo started out on his own and built his name in the customs business. In the meantime, his wife would assist him in the background preparing invoices for his customers, among other things.
“Customers couldn’t believe we were operating from our vehicle,” he recalled, so decided to quit his job in 2012 and join her husband, after which they acquired office space in the eventually. Within just a short time, the business grew tremendously.
What’s unique about their business, says Mrs. Algoo, is that they place an emphasis on working with high standards and offering quality services to their customers. “We deliver on what we promise and are very considerate of our customers. Sometimes they may not afford to accrue the duties. We would assist in doing that and then be patient with them; of course this is based on our relationship with them and how much we know them. Sometimes we extend credit … so we see with our customers. “
In the meantime, a licensed broker is someone who is aware of all the GRA regulations and everything needed to clear a ship or aircraft. “Our service is all inclusive. The customer has to sit at home and relax. Getting around, getting clearance and all that is boring; it takes a specialist to do the job. So we process the documents for commercial cargo; prepared and presented to Customs. “
Remaining simple and humble
Although excited about the new opening, Mrs. Algoo that she and her husband have chosen to continue living simple lives. “We have remained very simple and discreet and see this as helping our staff. We do not take all these gains for ourselves. We make sure he cheats on them once we deliver. ”
Coming from a background of poverty, she recalled how her father worked very hard selling cane juice to support his family. “Poverty is a very bad thing. We had relatives who were already up there, rich etc, and we used to be like the mockery, ”he said.
In fact, when her school friends would want to visit her at home, she would always make an excuse as she lived in a very small house, which didn’t even have a wall on one side. “My dad patched it with a sink and it was for years,” he reflected.
“Today, I’m very happy to be able to see my parents and siblings happy,” he said, adding, “I’ve always said quietly that I wanted to break down barriers when I grew up and I don’t want to My kids grew up that way. I want to see my parents smile because my dad worked very hard. They got in big trouble and I owe them all. ”