Events at Georgetown Chamber meeting should worry private sector

Dear Editor,
Continuing the excellent work of his immediate predecessors, Mr. Clinton Urling in his first year as President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) brought youth and vibrancy to the organisation. He tirelessly promotes the interest of the GCCI membership, raising the profile of our organisation by multiple high quality publications, seminars and the Awards dinner which was arguably one of the best events of the 2012 Guyana business calendar.

In spite of all these things something transpired at last week’s members meeting of the Chamber that should concern members of both the PSC and the GCCI. There seemed to be a calculated attempt by persons connected with the PSC to embarrass and vote out Mr. Urling as well as unsettle Acting Executive Director Marissa Lowden. The “highfliers”, who are also members of the GCCI, attempted to hijack a process which they clearly did not even bother to understand.

The question though is why would this happen? The GCCI for too long was the ugly duckling to the PSC.  Are the old guard scared of what Urling and the current members of the GCCI’s Executive, who are all up for re-election, bring to the table, both, now and in the future?

The current executive is made up of a group of experienced businessmen as well as bright up and comers. Does this scare the “highfliers”? From the obstructionist manner in which certain persons carried on at the meeting, the answer, sadly, is a resounding yes.
Sad, because if this attempt succeeds, it will harm both the GCCI and the PSC, not Mr. Urling and his capable team.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address supplied)