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Private Sector Chairman Dookhoo indicts Govt.
Dear Editor,
It was reported that on 05-11-11 the PNC presidential candidate David Granger was the guest speaker at a luncheon that was hosted by the GMSA.
The purpose of the meeting was for Granger to present his plans, in just 30 minutes, on how he would create a business friendly environment should he be elected President of Guyana.
Due to the short time available Granger dealt in detail with just a few components of his plan such as no interference of govt. in business, stamping out govt. corruption, restore law and order, and rebuilding the education system from nursery to university level. Most importantly Granger emphasised his commitment to free enterprise by announcing he would privatize all remaining state owned entities.
I thought Granger did an excellent presentation in the allotted time. I was therefore puzzled by the response of Private Sector Commission chairman Mr. Ramesh Dookhoo.
Rather than endorse Granger’s commitment to the free market system and welcome his plans to privatize GuySuCo, GUYOIL, Guyana Chronicle, and NCN Television, which would provide opportunities for our private sector and make it the dominant force in our legitimate economy, Mr. Dookhoo seemed somewhat interested in belittling Granger’s presentation.
Mr. Dookhoo reportedly admonished Granger that in future the private sector wanted him to “include political and regime stability, exchange rate stability, security and the absence of crime, clarity and fairness of laws and regulations, public service efficiency, investment protection, anti-monopoly practices, favourable attitudes to Foreign Direct Investment, the opening of an export promotion zone, better access to local financing, better labour relations, more availability of skilled labour, technicians and unskilled labour, a cheaper telecommunication services, reliable power supply, cheaper air transportation, improved water supply and improved roads in the interior.” (Demerara Waves 05-11-11)
The same report quotes Mr. Dookhoo as saying, “That is what we want, Mr. Granger. I hope that’ll be a guiding principle for you in your future talks with the public and with us.” I wonder why Mr. Dookhoo did not comment on Granger’s privatization plan. Is the chairman of the Private Sector Commission against privatization? This is a question Mr. Dookhoo as Chairman of the PSC must answer.
I have two other observations. Mr. Dookhoo listed at least 20 items that he wanted Granger to address. Did Mr. Dookhoo honestly felt that Granger could have done so in 30 minutes? Supposing it was Mr. Dookhoo who was doing the presentation how would he have covered those 20 items in 30 minutes? Add to that an introduction and a conclusion and we have 22 phases. It means then that Mr. Dookhoo would have spent at least 1.3 minutes on each stage of his talk!
If after 19 years of continuous PPP Government none of those conditions exist then the least Mr. Dookhoo could have done was move a motion of no confidence against the PPP regime because his request is a damning indictment against the ruling PPP cabal which has failed to provide a business friendly environment to our private sector. Which leaves me to wonder how did the PPP manage to produce a nouveau riche class in the last 12 years? How did the PPP elite amass vast fortunes whilst sugar workers continued in “modern day PPP slavery?”
Malcolm Harripaul
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