Jagdeo forewarns of face-off at Business Summit today

…says Ministers will not have Speaker’s cloak of protection

The political Opposition intends to confront Ministers of Government in a no-holds-barred face-off without the protection of the Speaker of the National Assembly when the Private Sector Commission (PSC) Business Summit gets underway today.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo recently telegraphed his Party’s agenda for the confrontation for the Government Ministers – listed as panellists – to be fully prepared.
Jagdeo was at the time speaking at a media engagement hosted at his Church Street office and affirmed his Party’s keen intention on participation in the process since he was assured there would be “robust discussions on topical issues. It is on this assurance we agreed to participate”.
Putting the Government on notice, Jagdeo said: “We are saying what we will focus on so the Ministers can come prepared…we had enough sound-bites in Parliament. And the good thing is that at the Business Summit, we will not have a Speaker who gives Government a cloak of protection and truncates our questioning.”
Telegraphing the Opposition’s list of demands, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) leader spoke to taxation, energy, Government procurement, the oil and gas sector, and a list of other issues.
According to Jagdeo, “public procurement will be a major feature – the lack of transparency, the breaches of the Procurement Act and Cabinet’s continued participation in the award of contracts”.
Speaking to the PPP’s decision to participate in the Summit, the Opposition Leader reminded that “Government procurement is the largest source of economic activity for the Private Sector…So procurement has to be part of a Business Summit. In every panel, on procurement issues, we will be seeking answers.”
The PSC’s Business Summit is touted as a ‘multi-stakeholder approach’ to bring together the brightest and most experienced in all sectors.
Chairman of the Trade and Investment Committee of the PSC, Deodat Indar had told the media that the Business Summit “…will not be another talk shop. This is not where people go to grandstand or any form of pageantry. This is serious business. We expect that the seven panels that we set up will be armed with experts to dissect issues, trends, analyse and project and suggest actions to reduce decline.”
According to Jagdeo, the PPP/Civic will be fully represented in each of those panel deliberations.
On the energy sector, the Opposition Leader noted that Government would be interrogated on issues ranging from the hogging of billions since the reduction in fuel prices was not passed on to consumers and the business community.
On the area of taxation, Jagdeo said the Opposition would be interrogating the Ministers present on not only figures but policy.
The Opposition Leader also laid out an ultimatum to Head of State, David Granger – who is slated to address the opening today.
“…not another speech about the good life for Guyanese; not another speech about the Green Development Strategy, not another speech about how agriculture in the hinterland is the new frontier; not another speech about the need to export more value-added products; and not another one on guava cheese and plantain chips. This is all we are getting from the Government – a good speech from Government that means nothing to the Guyanese people.”