THE Private Sector Commission (PSC) has commended businesses that made donations in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 and is encouraging others to give generously.

On April 2, the PSC set up a COVID-19 Fund through which monetary donations can be deposited using a specific account number. The commission has also opened itself to donations in the form of food items and basic household essentials.

The money will be used to purchase medical equipment and supplies, ventilators and Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) and, along with other donations, will go to persons authorised to use same.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Monday, PSC executive member, Ramesh Dookhoo, said that persons have been responding positively. He noted that the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has also been raising donations for the same cause.

Meanwhile, a relief/assistance application form has been made available for those in need, to fill out. It collects details on rent payments, mortgage payments, insurances, personal loans, hire purchase payments and more.

A signature placed will give the PSC the go-ahead to validate the information on the form.

Apart from this effort, Dookhoo noted that a lot of businesses have been giving back and one may not know the full magnitude as some prefer to remain anonymous.

“People who can help, need to help as much as they could. I think that is what is happening. There is a lot of social conscience going on in the country. A lot of people are trying to help with masks; trying to get protective gear for medical workers and so on. It’s an obligation by every citizen that can help to help,” PSC Chairman, Captain Gerry Gouveia, told this newspaper.

Even so, Dookhoo acknowledged that it is a difficult period, too, for businesses and it is therefore commendable when they make it their duty to assist citizens in this time of a global crisis.

“I would encourage every business at this time to be humanitarian towards their employees. I would encourage every business to understand the human crisis of vast proportion. I would encourage every business to give wherever possible and for as long as possible, keep their employees partially employed just to make sure that their families don’t starve,” he said.

He added: “Businesses cannot sustain doing that for too long given the pressures and the drop in revenue. So those businesses that are really applying a humanitarian posture towards this is commendable but the reality will kick in sooner than later.”

He noted that the PSC has made recommendations to the government that a stimulus package be put in place for citizens to ease the financial burden. Dookhoo said that in countries where total lockdowns are in effect, this usually comes along with some form of financial alleviation measures for citizens.

He said: “We also believe that the government needs to announce some kind of economic stimulus for those people who have started to suffer because they’ve lost their jobs or their company is [adhering] to the curfew.”