The Private Sector Commis-sion (PSC) on Friday summoned its members to an emergency meeting to discuss an emerging rift with the government. The unanimous conclusion was that the government was attempting to sideline the umbrella body and the way forward is to be decided at a general meeting this week.
"The conclusion was that the PSC is being deliberately bypassed," Chairman of the PSC, Peter de Groot, said after the emergency session. This comes on the heels of two meetings President Bharrat Jagdeo held with the Guyana Manufacturers' Association (GMA) and all the Chambers of Commerce across the country to which the PSC was not invited. Discussion of plans for a second business summit and the naming of a preparatory committee to do the groundwork for the summit were what helped determine that the PSC was being sidelined, as it was the PSC which led the way for the 1999 summit.
The PSC has decided to schedule a meeting next week with all of its affiliate organisations and corporate bodies to discuss the issue and to decide on a way forward. Five corporate entities - Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, National Bank of Industry and Commerce, Edward B Beharry and Company, John Fernandes Ltd and Banks DIH - were present at the meeting on Friday along with five affiliate organisations, namely, the Forest Products Association, the Aircraft Owners Association, the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), the GMA and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
De Groot says what is definite is that neither the private sector nor the government can operate alone but need the support of each other. However, the meeting next week will determine the strength of the PSC to move forward on the issue.
Head of THAG, Gerry Gouveia, said THAG represents 75 companies in the private sector and feels slighted at not being invited to the meeting with the President. He opined that a divide and rule game is being played by the Office of the President. "I am very concerned that a fragmented group is going to meetings with the President when it is necessary for genuine consultative public/private sector engagement for the development of Guyana... we need a strong private sector and if we do anything to divide and rule it will do a lot of damage to the country," Gouveia said, alluding to the period when the private sector had been stifled.
Gouveia said he hopes this will just turn out to be a misunderstanding; otherwise it would be an "unfortunate, backward step". He also noted that the PSC had held a seat on the Central Planning and Housing Authority board, but this has been withdrawn and THAG's two seats on the Tourism Authority Board had been reduced to one.