Ten private sector organisations have joined forces and signed a memorandum of understanding which brought to life the “Dominica Business Forum.”
The forum was launched on Thursday morning at the Anchorage Hotel.
Jean-yves Bonnaire, secretary of Dominica Manufacturers Association, described it as a necessary move since, according to him, it is time the private sector join forces to establish proposals for better policies which will enhance the business climate on the island.
“The ultimate goal for us is to have the necessary dialogue with the public sector and policy makers so we could together build up better policies, react faster to the market because the markets are changing rapidly, we are moving into regional integration at the OECS level, the CARICOM level, things are happening so we have to be ready and we are getting ready today,” he said.
He added, “The idea is to have a vibrant positive private sector here that can provide the necessary growth that we need; the jobs that we need and I think working hand in hand with the public sector would be a great positive move for the country.”
President of the Dominica Builders and Contractors Association, Stuart Paris is the first chairman of the Forum.
Paris said during his six month tenure as chairman one of the biggest priorities is making the forum a working and functional partner of the government and the public sector.
“We recognise the private sector cannot exist without the public sector and we need to have an excellent relationship with the government and the public sector as we try to provide representation,” Paris stressed. “I hope the Dominica Business Forum can bring a level of quality representation to the private sector that it has not seen before.”
He said he aims to make the Forum speak for the private sector in one voice. “We represent several organisations in the private sector and they all have challenges which are different from each other and we would like to find a harmonised way in which we can articulate the needs of each organisation to where it would serve everybody …it would give everybody an answer to what is really challenging them,” he said.
According to Paris, one proposal which he intends to bring to the government is the need for greater access and greater consultation. “We would like policy makers to know that we don’t think its right to create policies without first consulting the private sector. We would like for when they formulate these policies it would be good and useful to contact this forum and work together with us because working in isolation does not work and is not good for Dominica,” Paris remarked.
The forum is made up of The Dominica Employer’s Federation, the Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce, The Builders and Contractors Association of Dominica, the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association, the Dominica Manufacturers Association, the Dominica Coalition for Service Industry, the National Development Foundation of Dominica, the Dominica Chamber of Agri-Business, DAPEX and the Association of Bankers and Financial Institutions.
I really like reading a post that can make men and women think.
Also, thanks for allowing me to comment!
Things in Dominica just cannot improve! Its like deceased Spider said about 10 years ago… we going down slowly… slowly… slowly!!!! Sixty apples that was sold in town back then… I wonder how much that selling this year… I know I haven’t been able to buy any… Tell Skerrit that’s why I can’t accept the 1%!!
Same set of people all profiling for their own businesses and trying to jockey for attention.
Until there is a national development strategy and businesses can fit within this, then all of this is pointless.
This new institution essentially replaces the DAIC, which should be the umbrella body for non-state organs involved in industry and commerce. The fact that it has, must be seen by the DAIC as a statement about its legitimacy.
It appears that the members of the DAIC do not feel that the Association adequately represents them. So, they either stay away from the DAIC or have formed their own sectoral association. Now, they regroup under a new name, Dominica Business Forum. Evidently, this new organisation will supplant the DAIC. I smell the death of the DAIC.
Good strategic move and very necessary for our economy to prosper.
sound move…stick together and make things work…
Another political talk shop.
This is not connected to any government, hence the private sector part. Reading really helps one to understand.
It sounds that way to me. We are not short on ideas to improve the country or how to integrate the region. What we lack is the political will. What forces the will is power. This new organ, if it to be effective it should talk less and demonstrate its ability and willingness to use its economic and social resources to force the political will. $M127 in construction projects with little or no local participation and no major outcry- what madness.
In other words it is time to get a full understanding of the memorandum of understanding between the government and the Chinese. Until everyone concern understand why our born and bred Dominican entrepreneurs are giving way to Chinese then the private sector is fighting an uphill battle. In order to have a successful relationship between the private and public sector there must be transparency; not under table deals like garbage bins, fertilizer bobols, no giving of contracts to companies owned by ministers of government without open declarations. No granting of duty free concessions to one set of businessmen ad women. Finally all must pay their fair share of taxes and not one company filing injunction in the courts to avoid taxes.
All of these organizations are likely members of the DAIC and or the DEF but went and formed splinter groups to serve their specific interests.
The other fundamental problem is the lack of a centralized administrative office to coordinate their activities and that comes with the obvious issue of paying office space rent monthly and the salaries for the office staff monthly as well!!!
How on this green earth at the eleventh and a half hour before the arrival of CSME implementation in 2013 such a body is rushed into formation? Are you private sector people for real?
So what were the various public consultations the ministry of trade with the now Dominican head of Caricom and persons like Mr. Paul were having with the Private Sector? Was it a waste of time or these members were not aware and are only now finding out?
Does that take the place of the DAIC?
so why is DAPEX and DCAB both members? i thought DAPEX, being an agri-business enterprise would naturally fall under DCAB… someone provide me with some clarity please
good move we need to rescue the private too many pirates