Absence of vital Commissions frustrates, disappoints Private Sector

Apr 26, 2013 News

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By Keeran Danny
The Private Sector Commission (PSC) is disappointed that vital Commissions that would essentially ensure accountability and transparency of Government and public officials are taking too long to be established.
This sentiment was expressed yesterday by Ramesh Dookhoo, Executive Member of the PSC during a press conference focusing primarily on the Opposition cutting $31.35B from the $208.8B Budget proposed by Government.
There, he drew the nexus between Guyana’s economic reality and governance in terms of domestic issues, and emphasized that governance cannot be divorced from investors’ confidence and economic stability.

Dookhoo indicated that limited access to information, inability to communicate and Government not meeting the demands of an 11-point proposal crafted by the Opposition, might have been responsible for the cuts.
He related that He he the PSC had examined the proposal and found many of the points to be reasonable, while others should not have been included if Government had stayed within the law.
The Executive Member said that all the outstanding Commissions to be established are a state of affairs that is frustrating the PSC. He lamented that this scenario has been ongoing for years.
“You hear a story from one side and you hear another story from the other side. I think we need to wake up and we need to put Guyana first. We need to get these Commissions set up and have them functioning properly,” Dookhoo said.
Only recently, the United States of America 2012 Human Rights Report highlighted Government’s apparent ineffectiveness in implementing laws that provide for criminal penalties for corruption by public officials.
The report zeroed in on the fact that public officials are subject to financial disclosure laws and are required to submit information about personal assets to the Integrity Commission. In addition, the absence of a Public Procurement Commission and the lax implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations were highlighted.
In relation to that report, Dookhoo said that he is sure that it will push everyone in the right direction to have those Commissions being setup. However, there are some Commissions that are established but the Opposition is gravely concerned about their functioning and confidentiality.
“You hear a story from one side and you hear another story from the other side. I think we need to wake up and we need to put Guyana first, we need to get these Commissions set up and have them functioning properly,” he added.
The Opposition parties have been advocating for the creation of the Public Procurement Commission to ensure taxpayers’ dollars are properly expended. It was expected to be created last year, but has not materialized to date.
According to Dookhoo, the Public Procurement Commission is a major issue for investors and a large part of the population.
“I think all of Guyana wants to have the Public Procurement Commission set up, yet we seem to have no dialogue taking place. We are disappointed that these Commissions are taking so long to set up…what we are hearing is this side to do this and this side to do that, but there is no real movement to benefit our citizenry. We need to have horses enter the room and have them sit on the best sofas in the house,” he said.
Another PSC member, Kit Nascimento, during the press conference, added that the body has found no fundamental reason why the Public Procurement Commission is not appointed.
“One side makes some excuse or the other. We get the impression that if both sides sit down and discuss, it would happen fairly quickly. And that is the type of pressure we want to bring to bear as a Commission.”
Another Constitutional entity that begs appointment is the Ombudsman. For years Guyana has been without an Ombudsman.
According to Dookhoo, one of the points on the proposal made to Government was the appointment of the Ombudsman which would help with accountability and transparency. He stressed that citizens must feel they have a place to go to if they are wronged.
He also commented on the fact that many tax tribunals are not functional and need resuscitation. Dookhoo said that taxpayers need to be assured that those tribunals are being setup. Moreover, the opposition approach to Government has to do with transparency and accountability more than the consideration to development benefits.
He said that politicians need to stop paying lip service and solve the real problems of the country. He stressed that the PSC has a zero tolerance to corruption at the national level and at their own companies’ levels. As such, the body claims to be non-compromising when it comes to accountability and transparency.

 

 

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