Dear Editor,
Permit me to respond to a letter penned by E B John titled ‘Does the private sector believe it has an obligation to contribute to the transformational process which is urgently needed?‘ (SN, December 11).
I want to commend the diligence demonstrated by the writer in procuring a copy of a publication of our Trinidad & Tobago counterpart and for publicizing and sharing the contents with your readers.
My only grouch is that the writer should have displayed the same level of zeal and sought out information from our own private sector bodies to ascertain whether we hold, and have articulated, similar positions as the Trinidad Chamber President when it comes to labour, education, transparency, accountability and governance, and security issues.
Only recently (December 6) at the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Annual Awards Dinner, I outlined a Chamber “wish list” which articulated all of the points referred to by the letter writer. Moreover, these points were highlighted extensively in the media over the past weekend and the Chamber and the Private Sector Commission have been making known these views all year round.
For the benefit of Mr John and your readers, I’ve attached the Chamber’s wish list:
1. Compromise and cooperation in Parliament and between the executive and the legislature
Compromise is not easy and neither party can solve our challenges by dogmatically defending its core tenets and refusing to compromise on basic principles that fuel development. To echo the sentiments of Mexico’s President Enrique Nieto, “We have to negotiate to build consensus. Now is the decisive hour in the history of the country that demands that politicians use common ground to reach essential agreement.” In addition, parliamentarians should respect the process and procedures of Parliament and respect the will and rulings of the Speaker of the House.
2. Local government reform and elections
(Simply put, we need a cleaner and healthier Georgetown!) I am heartened by the tabling of four legislative bills that were presented in the current Parliament, and which currently rest in select committees, that work towards a new local government system. The Chamber hopes to have a chance to review those and offer its own input.
3. Accelerated and holistic tax reform
Tax reform should be done in a comprehensive manner as opposed to a disjointed or fractional manner. Furthermore, I await the results of the ternary committee that was established by President Ramotar to recommend bold reform of our tax system.
4. The actualization and completion of Amaila Falls Hydropower project
It’s no secret that high electricity costs is a major constraint and impediment to our private sector development, hence we fully support this project and other initiatives aimed at bringing the cost of electricity down.
5. A metamorphosis and transformation of the UG
– as a hub for national research and development and also to produce a competent and qualified skilled labour force that meets the needs of the private sector.
6. Full and comprehensive security sector reform
I call on the government to review our entire security sector with the aim of reviewing, restructuring, upgrading and enhancing our entire security apparatus, including our police force, the prison system and the military.
7. A development bank that speaks to the needs of small businesses
Micro and small businesses, new and innovative economic ventures, just to identify a few, are all considered risky by traditional commercial banks. We need a development bank, preferably structured in the public-private partnership model, that offers longer term lending, lower interests rates and less onerous collateral requirements.
8. More transparency and accountability in the way we mange our public sector and private sector organizations
This should be one of the highest priorities for our national leaders and public officials as this builds trust with the public. That trust is achieved by providing accurate and complete information on expenditures, projects and other transactions.
9. We need the expeditious establishment of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) This is tasked with oversight responsibilities for public procurement and would ensure the economic and efficient use of public funds in the procurement of goods, works and services through processes that are competitive, transparent and non-discriminatory. I would add the granting of private sector concessions to the mandate of the PPC, making it the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission.
10. We need the emergence (or re) of civil society groups to add their voices to the national conversation
We need an energized, galvanized and inspirited civil society to contribute to, and keep our policy-makers focused on, national development. Our religious, professional, worker, gender, student, journalist, consumers, and human rights organizations all have an integral role in the development process, lest we risk public policy being decided solely by political actors.
11. A more balanced media that is objective and responsible in the way they report events and the news.
Yours faithfully,
Clinton Urling
President
GCCI
