Historical overview

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) indirectly grew out of the Economic Recovery Programme introduced in the late nineteen eighties by President Desmond Hoyte. This programme led to what was virtually a renaissance period for private sector business in Guyana as the focus shifted from state hegemony of the economic environment to divestment of state enterprises and incentives to boost private enterprise.

The need, therefore, arose for associations and chambers to represent the fledgling private sector. By early 1992, a grouping of small business support organisations came to the realization that, while they adequately handled sector-specific issues, there was no overarching body to deal with the cross-cutting issues which affected the private sector.

Five of these businesses came together and created the Private Sector Commission with a clearly laid out mandate. From this small beginning with five Sectoral Members, the Private Sector has grown to represent organisations of diverse focus and membership and wide geographical reach. Sectoral Members now represent the gamut of enterprises from aviation, manufacturing, and large-scale agriculture to craft production and tourism.

When Corporate Membership was introduced, the Constitution of the Commission was changed to ensure that these new members, with their bigger asset bases, did not dominate the decision-making Council of the body.

Whereas each Sectoral Member was guaranteed a seat on the Council, the collective Corporate Members were constrained to elect from among themselves a number of representatives determined as a percentage of the number of seats held by the Sectoral Members.

Though constrained by these requirements, the Corporate Members brought new perspectives to the dialogue and lifted the bar for advocacy.

The Commission now has Corporate Members representing a wide range of industries from large-scale gold and bauxite mining to aviation, construction and agriculture.