The Private Sector Commission (PSC) today called on the government and the parliamentary parties to convene a special parliamentary meeting to swiftly set up the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) and the Integrity Commission.
It noted that these institutions mitigate perceptions of corruption and they further the evolution of a truly democratic society.
“Failure to so do will create an all-time lack interest by our society in our national politics”, the PSC declared.
Parliament is presently in recess. While the names of the members of the PPC have been agreed, they are still to be appointed. The APNU+AFC government had promised swift action on both the PPC and the Integrity Commission. Increasing concerns have been raised about the procurement record of the APNU+AFC government.
“On both sides we must compromise, these are not political institutions but are meant to add to transparency and accountability. Good civil society members (regardless of how they are regarded politically) should be placed on these Commissions.
“We believe that the time has come for an end to the procrastination on these matters and for the Government and the political opposition to give effect to the commitment they have made to the nation on the setting up of these Commissions. We would also like to reiterate our call for the appointment of an Ombudsman, all of the tax tribunals and all other appeal mechanisms that lead to the citizenry’s rights being protected”, the PSC asserted.
It said it believes that the failure to establish these entities “poses a threat to legitimate business activities, creates unfair business-to- business competition and indeed is the reason why some legitimate businesses cannot stand up to new competition.”
The PSC also urged the Government to fully operationalise the Financial Intelligence Unit and to equip it with the necessary personnel to investigate and prosecute financial crimes.
“Money laundering is a scourge all over the world that cannot be ignored here in Guyana. It creates unfair advantages for legitimate companies by the lowering of prices beyond cost. It eliminates legitimate competition and feeds into the drug trade”, the PSC said, adding “We appeal to all of our politicians to put Guyana and its legitimate tax payers first”.
