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1st FEBRUARY 2007
MEDIA RELEASE
“NCC COUNCIL HOLDS INAUGURAL MEETING”

The National Competitiveness Council held its inaugural meeting under the chairmanship of his Excellency President Bharrat Jagdeo on January 23rd, 2007.

Government representatives attending the meeting were Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation, Mr. Henry Jeffrey; Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Mr. Manniram Prashad and Chief Executive Officer of GO-Invest, Mr. Geoff Da Silva.

The private sector was represented by Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Michael Correia; Vice Chairman of the PSC and Chairman of the PSC Trade and Investment Sub-Committee, Mr. Paul Cheong and Mr. Patrick Zephyr, President of the Small Business Association.

The Council is constituted with the President or in his absence, the Prime Minister as Chairman and six government nominees, four private sector members and two members representing organized labour.

Other members of the Council are Minister of Finance, Mr. Ashni Singh; Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Robert Persaud and Minister of Public Works and Communications, Mr. Robeson Benn. President of the Association of Regional Chambers of Commerce (ARC), Mr. David Subnauth and labour members Mr. Andrew Garnett, President of the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) and Mr. Komal Chand, representing the Federation of Independence Trade Union of Guyana (FITUG).

The Council agreed that it was necessary to establish the Secretariat for the NCC as soon as possible within the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce and to collaborate on the recruitment of a Director of Competitiveness and other staff positions in the Secretariat.

The Council agreed to convene again in February.