Battle looms for PSC chairmanship
Stabroek News
May 28, 2004
The annual meeting of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) is slated for June 30 with Gerry Gouveia running for the chairmanship. However, he is expected to face serious challenge from two other members of the council.
Peter DeGroot, the outgoing chairman, has served two consecutive terms and is not eligible for re-election for another three years.
Ramesh Dookhoo, who has served two consecutive terms as vice-president and is a corporate representative on the PSC Council, is eligible for the position if he is nominated by the Guyana Manufacturers' Association (GMA) as their representative on the Council.
Gouveia is reported to have already made it known that he would be running for the position but two other candidates are reportedly working quietly behind the scenes to canvass support and it is highly likely that one of the latter two could win out.
Dookhoo, deGroot and Paul Chung, all corporate representatives on the council, have for the past two years held the top positions of chairman, vice-chairman and treasurer. The term of a treasurer is not subjected to any limits. Corporate members are restricted to 30% of the votes on the council while umbrella organisations have 70% of the votes.
With the resignation of David Yankana as the honorary secretary/executive director, Claude Merriman from the Berbice Chamber had been appointed honorary secretary and Bal Persaud, executive director.
Even though the PSC under deGroot's leadership was seen as a more credible organisation, its relations with the government have been cool and President Bharrat Jagdeo is still to respond to the need for a meeting with the PSC executives to discuss the perceived rift in relations.