The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) will next Tuesday launch its long-awaited revised code of conduct, almost two years since the organization undertook a review of the document.
The code, the GCCI says, seeks to hold the urban business up to higher standards in terms of both trading practices and compliance with national laws. While senior members of the GCCI declined earlier this week to speak with Stabroek Business ahead of the launch of the revised code, Chamber President Komal Ramnauth had told this newspaper in an interview that he was keen on its ratification.
The Chamber’s code of conduct is governed by seven “statements of principle” that address issues of legislation, employees, consumers, suppliers, competition practices, community and environment and enforcement and motoring. Stabroek Business understands that compliance with the provisions of the Code is the responsibility of the Chamber’s Executive director and its Security and Governance Committee.
The revised code will be seen as an attempt by the private sector to put in place some measure of self-regulation that will compel business-houses to realize and maintain higher standards of health and safety and general conditions of work at private sector workplaces.
Recently, the Ministry of Labour has been voicing concern over workplace accidents resulting from less than desirable safety and health standards. Other significant clauses in the revised code include those pertaining to equal opportunity for employees “without regard to race, colour, sex, religion, age, marital status, disability, veteran status or national origin.” Additionally, the code takes account of fair trading practices covering consumers’ rights and fair competition as well as the promotion of the principles of corporate and social responsibility.
A key test of the effectiveness of the code will lie in the extent to which it impacts on delinquency among urban business houses in the payment of rates and taxes. Ramnauth, who was elected President of the Chamber in April this year, had said that much of the focus of the Chamber would be on advocating members’ compliance governing the payment of employees’ National Insurance Scheme contributions and Guyana Revenue Authority taxes.
Sources close to the Chamber have pointed out, however, that the effectiveness of the new code would rest on the extent to which it can bring positive change to the private sector as a whole. A number of commercial houses in the urban business community are not members of the Chamber and will therefore not be bound by the rules. Several months ago, Imme-diate Past President of the Chamber Chandradat Chintamani told Stabroek Business that he was advocating compulsory membership of the Chamber for urban businesses as was the case in Suriname.
In May, Ramnauth told this newspaper that the Chamber had taken a number of initiatives, including the July 2008 changes in its fees structure, to attract new membership.
