‘I’m optimistic about the future of this country’
- President at end of Business Summit
Georgetown, GINA, May 9, 2006
The general feeling was one of optimism, of moving forward a sound partnership between government and the private sector as the curtains were drawn on the historic Presidential Summit on Private Sector Development.
The Summit, hosted by President Bharrat Jagdeo, marks the beginning of a structured partnership between the two sectors with the primary objective of building a competitive advantage for Guyana and improving the standard of living.
Embracing the theme, “Words into Action” almost 400 business minds from across the country pooled their ideas on nine thematic areas to make recommendations on the second draft of the National Competitiveness Strategy at the International Conference Centre, Liliendaal.
Discussions were focused on “Scoring Big for the World Cup Cricket; Developing Fast-track Sectors such as Aquaculture, Non-Traditional Agriculture Products, Call Centres and Contract Manufacturing, Financing for Guyana’s Future; Creating the Brain Gain; CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME); Tapping resources of the Diaspora and A new Tourism Vision for Guyana - Making the five-year Development Plan happen.”
President Jagdeo participated in the extensive and timely discussions, from which the groups forwarded several recommendations on their specific themes.
“I am very impressed with the work flow and the ideas coming out. I am sure there is a significant body of recommendations that when implemented, would make a big difference in the various sectors. I want to urge you not to allow this exercise to end here today. This is the beginning,” the President said.
Participants were urged to read all the documents that were given to them in packages, as these entail government’s position and policies on a wide range of areas, including those sectors critical to creating a more competitive business sector. President Jagdeo urged business people to ensure that they research and read the Government policies that were not contained in the packages.
However, the Head of State cautioned that while the administration highly esteems the process, there are limitations to implementing the recommendation or ideas mooted.
“Not everything that you suggested here today will or can be implemented,” he noted, adding that, “We look forward to your support in the evolving period and we will have to find a way of communicating with you since people were drawn from across the nation.”
The President expressed gratitude for the Private Sector’s participation, “And I hope that this partnership would yield the promise of creating a better life for our people because only through hard work and working together we would achieve that…This is not coming and chatting for a few hours. I believe in the work we have done here. It can make a difference.”
The idea was mooted for a website regarding the National competitiveness Strategy (http://www.summit.org.gy/) so that participants can make recommendations as the process evolves.
Work on a competitiveness strategy began in the 1990s under the current administration. Since then the National Development Strategy and the Poverty Reduction Strategy were launched, leading to the establishment of a National Competitiveness Strategy and by extension, a National Competitiveness Council.
The May 8 Summit is the culmination of a seven-month partnership process between Government and the Private Sector to update the National Competitiveness Strategy, which was initially released by Government in July, 2005. In September 2005, President Jagdeo issued a call to the Private Sector to work alongside the Government in identifying measures to: “elevate our national conversation so that we talk of solutions and implementation, not simply problems and challenges.”
Since then, hundreds of people have been involved in a series of consultations, organised by the Government and the Private Sector Commission. In January, eight high-level working groups were involved in consultations which were attended by senior representatives of the Government and the Private Sector.
The groups focused in particular on improving the environment for Private Sector investment, strengthening exporters’ competitiveness, developing fast-track sectors of the economy, and strengthening public-private dialogue.
The results of these consultations were communicated at the Presidential Summit. On May 4, the Government of Guyana and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that sets out what has been agreed between the entities regarding the foundation and operation of the new National Competitiveness Council (NCC).
The NCC will be Guyana's main institution for high-level public-private dialogue on the Strategy and all competitiveness-related issues.
President Jagdeo reiterated that the initiative is not a political gimmick as the country is nearing general elections, but rather an effort that begun more than a year ago to concretize the relationship between the State and the Private Sector.
“I am optimistic about the future of this country. Very, very optimistic. I have travelled around the world. I feel at home here. I feel comfortable here. I feel the potential of our land and through our own making, through bad policies we have been unable to work together for quite a long time. Throughout our history we have not really give this country a fair chance. I am sure that if we get together, if we work in very practical ways the promise of this country would be realized,” President Jagdeo said.
The Head of State hosted a cocktail reception later in the evening for the participants of the Business Summit.
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