Part Two
Part One of this three-part series was printed in our issue of Friday January 14, 2011
Part 1 in this series of articles on the GCSP and Promoting the Services in Guyana published in last week’s Stabroek Business, (January 14, 2011) gave a broad introduction to the formation of the GCSP, which had its origins in an advisory Task Force established by MOFTIC in 2003 in regard to external trade negotiations for the external sector. It also briefly described the establishment and objectives of the GCSP. This was further complemented with a short review of the services sector in Guyana, along with a description of Guyana’s services commitments under the WTO-GATS. As promised, Part 2 of the series will describe 1) membership and membership-related issues 2) networking with other services suppliers across CARICOM, under the aegis of EPA provisions and 3) the generation of resources to aid the fulfilment of the GCSP’s objectives.
Membership
In Part 1 it was briefly stated that there are four broad categories of members; namely: Founding Members, Full Members, Associate Members and Provisional Members. More fully the Founding Members comprise those persons involved in the formation and incorporation of the GCSP. The Founding Members are regarded under the By-Laws of the incorporating Act as full members. The Minutes of the GCSP provide details of those participating in the founding of the GCSP.
The list of Founding Members cannot be expanded beyond that at the time of the formal incorporation of the GCSP and is restricted to persons coming out of the originating Task Force who committed to the formation of the GCSP. Members of the Interim Board, which transitioned the grouping from the Task Force to the GCSP and its legalisation, are Founding Members.
Full Membership is available to any association, entity or other body of service providers in Guyana. In this sense the GCSP seeks to constitute itself as a coalition of associated services providers.
Associate Membership is afforded to government entities, universities and other services agencies registered or operating in Guyana.
Provisional Membership comprises of persons who are not part of an association or other registered affiliated body of service providers. Such membership is temporary and allowed for two (2) years, by which time the associate member must become a member of an association or other registered body or entity. The intention here is to encourage individual membership to transform itself into membership of an association.
There are rules in the By-Laws governing dues, the termination of membership, rights of members and their transferability.
Networking
There is a Caribbean Network of Services Coalitions (CNSC). It has developed based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among the national coalitions of Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. The CNSC was expanded in December 2010 to include Coalitions in Guyana and the soon to be established Antigua and Barbuda.
Basic information on CNSC’s operations indicates:-
1. The Trinidad representative is the Main Contact Point for the Network. As Coordinator, the representative receives and disseminates all communications within the Grouping.
2. The Belize representative is the E-coordinator, and as the name suggests coordinates the E-activities of the CNSC.
3. Each coalition is responsible for updating other coalitions within the network on a specific priority services sector. Guyana (GCSP) is responsible for addressing the area of financial services.
4. The CNSC is jointly developing project proposals, with the support of PROINVEST (an ACP-EU funded project) for its activities, having regard to the varying levels of development among member coalitions.
5. The CNSC also proposes to coordinate at least two (2) Joint Declarations per year on pressing issues that are services-related.
6. At present the network is aiming for two meetings each year, one of which will be Constituted as its Annual General Meeting (AGM). In addition, it plans at least one e-meeting per quarter.
There is a general commitment for individual Members of the CNSC to offer guidance, suggestions, and support where necessary for the benefit of the development of all members, taking into account their different levels of development at this stage. The CNSC will offer one voice and regional and international presence and influence to the individual Coalitions, including Guyana’s.
Funding and Resources
A serious assessment of the objectives of the GCSP would make it obvious that these cannot be satisfactorily achieved without substantial acquisition of resources by the Management of the Coalition. Fees and other subscriptions by Members do not, at this stage, allow it to perform its critical functions. Aware of this, the Management of the Coalition has sought to generate funding and other types of support from outside the organisation. The priorities for funding/support as we can see it at this stage are:
1. The establishment and location of an adequately staffed and equipped full time Secretariat. The Secretariat will be expected among its standard duties to i) aid the Board of Directors in the preparation of a strategic vision for the services sector and the GCSP as an organisation, for the medium to long term as well as ii) take responsibility for the day to day activities of the GCSP.
2. Capacity-building for the sector. This requires Research and Development directed at the identification of opportunities for services sub-sectors to expand and organize themselves. Technical assistance would be needed to undertake this demanding task.
3. Linked to capacity-building, the provision of training to the identified sub-sectors has been recognised as crucial.
4. The identification of market opportunities within Guyana, CARICOM, the EPA and further afield is a definite priority, if the services sector is to grow rapidly.
5. Supporting expanding networking opportunities through the CNSC.
Supporting the advisory role of the GCSP to the external negotiation of services in Guyana and at the regional CARICOM level.
Part 3 will wrap up this presentation by focussing on support from the CARICOM Secretariat and an important issue, which confronts the services sector in Guyana and across CARICOM arising out of CARICOM (CSME) and the CARIFORUM-EU, Economic Partnership Agreement obligations.
