Reference is hereby made to Mr. Carl Greenidge’s letter `Only when the views of the private sector leaders are consistent and balanced will they exercise the same influence their regional counterparts do’ (SN December 5, 2012) and the sentiments expressed therein.
The Private Sector Commission takes this opportunity to respond to some of the points raised by that letter and also to set the record straight for the benefit of all interested parties. In a recent release the PSC called for Parliamentarians to be cognizant of the need to utilize their great power and responsibility in the service of the country and its citizenry and to act in the best interest of all Guyanese. The PSC, in that release, called for Parliament to direct its energies towards the very developmental needs that Mr. Greenidge has highlighted. These included social services, governance and economic viability. Parliament is the mechanism for reform and development and these are objectives that cannot be met if the Parliamentary stalemate continues.
It is unfortunate that Mr. Greenidge has chosen to utilize an unproven assumption that the private sector in Guyana is less influential than the private sector in the rest of the region.
The Guyanese private sector, through the Private Sector Commission, has the unprecedented opportunity to influence government policy through the mechanism of the National Competitiveness Strategy which created Public-Private Dialogue Bodies (PPDB’s) and a National Competitiveness Council which is chaired by the President and on which the Private Sector Commission is directly represented by its Chairman and the Chairman of its Trade and Investment Sub-Committee.
Through that Strategy, the PSC is represented on the Infrastructure Public-Private Dialogue Body, or PPDB, which works towards the improvement of all infrastructure across the country including rural roads and airstrips and the planned deep water harbour which, it is agreed, is a priority. The PSC also functions on the Energy PPDB, which works towards lowering the final cost of energy, and participates in a Tax Reform forum and a Security Sector Reform forum. On the issue of security, the Commission has met with the President regarding its concerns and quarterly meetings are now scheduled. The Commission is also involved in a Trade Facilitation forum at which the decision was taken to implement a Single Window Application System (SWAPS) for trade transactions by the Guyana Revenue authority, which will result in the use of Internet technology for the submission of customs documentation. The PSC also engages directly in structured dialogue sessions with the Guyana Revenue Authority to ensure more efficient service for the promotion of trade.
The PSC has been instrumental in the revamping of the Deeds Registry. In fact leaders of the Commission have been called upon to advise other governments in the Caribbean on how to enhance competitiveness through collaboration with the private sector.
It is, however, not only in the context of the National Competitiveness Strategy or in the realm only of economic development that the Private Sector Commission has an influential voice, one of our most notable successes to date has been the reduction by 5% of corporate taxes in 2011. When the issue of copyright infringement arose, the Chairman of the Private Sector Commission wrote directly to President Ramotar expressing our concern about the potential and real deleterious effects of state-sponsored violation of copyrights, urging the path of negotiation, which was subsequently followed by the government. At the same time the Chairman also highlighted the need for appropriate legislation for the protection of not only copyright, but also intellectual property rights in its entirety.
During the crisis caused by the unfortunate shooting deaths of three protestors at Linden the leaders of the Private Sector Commission met dozens of times and worked tirelessly towards the brokering of a solution to the impasse and were instrumental in the eventual setting up of a Commission of Inquiry. In the aftermath of the crisis, our leaders have met with stakeholders in Linden to garner their views on what is needed for the development of the region and will continue to do so by supporting the efforts of the Linden Chamber of Commerce.
The suggestion that our leaders may be partial to a particular party or ideology is at variance with the nature and structure of the Private Sector Commission. We are a democratic institution in which independent free and fair elections are held for the leadership. However, our leaders are cognizant of the fact that our membership spans the spectrum of political thought and are ever conscious of the fact that they are accountable to those members. Our Chairmen are held to the very highest standards. The Private Sector Commission is the apex body, which represents the private sector across the country and not just a small section of it. Our governing body, the Council, consists of the leaders of our sectorial members who include the Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association, the Bankers’ Association, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association, the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and other private sector associations across the country. It should also be noted that the Chairman of the Private Sector Commission is the official spokesperson of the Commission, having been elected by the Council to lead and speak on its behalf.
We have over the years enjoyed cordial, and even warm, relations with all of the political parties and we do expect that we can call upon our elected representatives of every creed to act in the best interest of the country without fear of being accused of partisanship.
Yours faithfully,
Ronald D. Webster
Chairman
Private Sector Commission of Guyana
