At business dinner…
SENIOR Economist at the National Competitiveness Strategy Unit (NCSU), Mr. Jonathan Said has said the active input of stakeholders in the business community is quintessential to the success of the implementation.
He was the featured speaker facilitating a discussion on the process at a business dinner hosted by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), last Friday evening at the Pegasus Hotel.
In his presentation, titled ‘The National Competitiveness Strategy and its impact on doing business in Guyana’, Said noted that the NCS engages a comprehensive and holistic approach to advancing the local business climate.
He observed that the impact of the NCS is seen through the comprehensive policies which are fed by policy inputs, which include the Financial Sector Assessment Programme, the Sugar Action Plan, the five-year Tourism Plan and the National Development Strategy (NDS), among others.
Said told his audience, including guests from across the commercial sector, that implementing the NCS has effected change and progress has been made.
In particular, he cited the Information Technology (IT) systems at the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Deeds Registry; the restructuring of GRA; the completion of key infrastructure projects; the functionality of the Commercial Court; enactment of key legislation; Guyana’s level of macro-economic stability and the ongoing public/private engagement.
Said advocated investment in active communication and healthy Private Sector debate, with focus on the bigger picture and a comprehensive approach.
According to him, stakeholders must contribute to NCS dialogue bodies and address medium term results, rather than immediate ones.
He also addressed the NCS contribution to business development locally and highlighted efforts in several targeted areas, among them macro-economic, trade and small business policies, trade transactions, certification and standards, consumer protection, access to finance, human resources, infrastructure and sector development.
Relative to macro-economic policy, Said explained that the objective is to ensure a stable environment, which is required to promote business investment and growth.
In his view, the trade policy ensures foreign market access for Guyanese exporters and focuses on trade transactions, addresses reducing transactions cost to trade by lessening procedures, time and expenditure required to import into or export goods from Guyana.

GUARANTEE

Said alluded to certification and standards and posited that NCSU’s work must not only guarantee access to foreign markets but that it is not hindered by a lack of standards and certification.
He informed that, of primary importance, too, is consumer protection and indicated that the NCSU seeks to increase the role of consumers in the marketplace to make sure that consumer preferences are adequately reflected by exposing businesses to consumer expectations.
Said added that ensuring businesses, particularly small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), have access to the finance they need when they need it is an area that is addressed as the development of that micro business sector, in key potential areas by helping to tackle technical and financial constraints, is of critical importance.
About human resources, he disclosed that the NCS supports initiatives which ensure that businesses and Government agencies have access to a sizeable and adequate pool of skills that they require to meet their goals/mandates.
Said revealed that there has been infrastructural developments and the implementation of the NCS aims at ensuring that the infrastructure required, to maximise the size of industrial, consumer, labour and Information Communication Technology (ICT) markets, is given attention.
He mentioned that sector development is an important focus point and moves are directed at forestry, fruit, vegetable, aquaculture and eco-tourism.
In light of the significant strides being made, Said reiterated the need for stakeholders in the business community to have an active input in the NCS.
The NCS is a long-term economic plan for Guyana and converts large segments of the National Development Strategy (NDS) into an action plan.
It was published in 2006 and takes a public/private partnership approach, the objective being to continually improve competitiveness in the Guyana economy.
The NCS is supported by both taxpayer and donor funded programmes, with a public/private framework that oversees and guides its implementation.
NCSU members include top Government officials, four Private Sector leaders and two from organised labour.
Other sections of the business community are also involved in overseeing and guiding the implementation process, such as the Small Business Council and the National Advisory Committee on Export Negotiations.