GOGEC pursues membership in Caricom Private Sector body

The Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber has agreed on joining the Caricom Private Sector Organisation (CPSO), with pledges by the two sides to collaborate and better position the private sector in the task of regional integration.
Technical Director of the CPSO, Dr Patrick Antoine met with President of the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC), Manniram Prashad for exploratory discussions at the GOGEC Office on the role of the private sector in the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME).
They used the opportunity to exchange information on both institutions, recalling their historical antecedents and the respective mandates of the CPSO and GOGEC.

Dr Antoine explained the unique position the CPSO holds as an associate institution of Caricom, while Prashad added that GOGEC is seeking to maintain its position as a key player in the oil and gas sector in Guyana. He expressed a keen interest in GOGEC becoming a member of the CPSO which was welcomed by Dr Antoine, who set out the processes for attaining membership.
The CPSO Director further elaborated that the CPSO is currently engaged in a membership outreach and onboarding programme and acknowledged the recent decision of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry to join the CPSO. Antoine also disclosed that the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) and the Barbados Manufacturers’ Association (BMA) would have also joined as members of the CPSO.
Both sides acknowledged the critical partnership that is necessary between the member states of Caricom and their respective private sectors, in order to advance the vision for the CSME.
In this regard, Dr Antoine noted the importance of regular dialogue between the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom, and the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) and the CPSO, particularly in areas such as achieving regional food security and industrial development, as well as in addressing subject areas such as Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) and Front of Package Labelling (FOPL).
Prashad supported this position and said that it was in the interest of GOGEC to align itself with the CPSO through membership. To this end, GOGEC will review the aims and objectives of the CPSO to identify synergies and possible areas of convergence.
The Caricom Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) is the most recently accredited Associate Institution of the Caribbean Community. The CPSO is a ‘Service Organisation’ to mobilise and advance private sector participation in Caricom, with a mandate to contribute to the full implementation of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME). The membership of the CPSO is comprised of private sector entities operating in the Caricom space, including micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs). (G12)