Former PSC Head wants Competitiveness Council to serve as recognized forum for public/private sector dialogue

Against the backdrop of a low-key meeting between high level government and private sector officials on Thursday May 4, following a protracted interlude of iciness and harsh words on both sides, former president of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) Gerald Gouveia has told the Stabroek Business that differences between the state and the business community were likely to persist to the detriment of the Guyana economy unless a reliable mechanism was found to ensure that “the door to dialogue and discourse” between the two sides was kept open “even in the face of differences and verbal hostilities.”

Speaking with this newspaper on the significance of the meeting between public and private sector delegations led by Finance Minister Winston Jordan and PSC Chairman Edward Boyer, respectively, Gouveia said that while the meeting itself was conducted in a spirit of cordiality and concluded “on a positive note,” it was clear that “the business of the public/private sector agenda”