Georgetown : The Private Sector Commission (PSC) today expressed disappointed with the actions of the Chairman of Region 10 and his team, which included MP Vanessa Kissoon, AFC’s Nigel Hughes, Aubrey Norton, and APNU’s Dr. Rupert Roopnarine, for objecting to PSC presence as observers to the discussions with President Ramotar and his team on July 31, 2012.
The meeting was called with the aim of bringing an urgent resolution to the Linden crisis, in a manner that encouraged open dialogue by ALL relevant stakeholders.
The President invited the PSC so that issues touching and concerning the private sector as a relevant stakeholder could have formed a part of the discourse. Similarly, the Regional Chairman was asked to ensure that other relevant stakeholders such as the Linden Chamber of Commerce, Representatives of the Religious Community, etc. were invited. It was subsequently confirmed that the Regional Chairman did not invite the Linden Chamber of Commerce.
The PSC believes that in light of the repeated calls for open dialogue, impartiality and an independent presence in investigations and discourse, this was a perfect opportunity to involve non-political stakeholders in arriving at resolutions for the collective benefit of all those persons, citizens and entities affected by the events of the last two weeks. By their refusal to embark on discussions in the presence of the Private Sector, the Regional Chairman and his team have denied the citizenry this opportunity and by extension, have refused to take a holistic approach which addresses all of the issues at hand, for all of the people affected.
As we endeavor to play our part we will continue to keep the public informed. We hope that open, all-inclusive dialogue on all the issues related to the events in Linden, by all the relevant and affected stakeholders, can be embarked upon swiftly. We should not confine our discourse on national issues to the political will of a few.
