‘Pres Ali wants to do 30 years of work in five and the private sector is answering that call’ -PSC Chairman
Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Captain Gerald Gouveia Jr., says the business community is fully prepared to match President Irfaan Ali’s accelerated development pace, noting that the Head of State has made it clear he intends to deliver “30 years of work in five.”
Speaking on Starting Point with host Kiana Wilburg, Gouveia said this national push has forced the private sector to innovate, expand and rethink its traditional role. And in his view, the PSC is ready.
“We will keep the pace,” he said. “To do so, we need to innovate and we need to use technology… It’s not business as usual. You have to think outside the box, otherwise you’re going to miss the boat.”
Gouveia said he is excited to lead the organisation at a time when Guyana is experiencing “unprecedented growth” and a surge in entrepreneurial energy, especially among young people.
He noted that the PSC’s structure, a “membership of memberships”, allows it to capture views and opportunities from every region and sector. Chambers of commerce from Georgetown to Region Three, the Rupununi Chamber, the Aircraft Owners Association, tourism bodies, the shipping sector, the GMSA, and major companies such as Banks DIH and DDL all feed into the Commission.
That structure, he said, creates “communities within communities,” giving the PSC reach “geographically across Guyana and sectorally across every industry.”
“I can tell you across the chambers, people are excited. And it’s fantastic to lead a grouping that’s like-minded, motivated, and really delivering.”
While not every PSC member is rushing into oil and gas, Gouveia said the sector is benefiting widely from the opportunities surrounding it. Local content, he noted, has allowed businesses to participate “without being in oil and gas,” by building out logistics, accommodation, and other supporting services.
But he stressed that Guyana’s transformation goes far beyond petroleum.
“We’re not an oil and gas country,” he told the regional forum recently. “We’re a country with oil and gas.”
He said PSC members are now deeply involved in the national push for economic diversification, building out tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, ICT, and a host of small and medium enterprises. Increased disposable income and strong capital circulation, he added, are opening doors that didn’t exist before.
“That creates opportunity for restaurants, for SMEs, for young people doing podcasts like this,” he said. “We as a Guyanese people are very good at taking advantage of opportunities. And now we have a plethora of opportunities in front of us.”
Gouveia also credited the current relationship between the public and private sectors, saying government understands its role in development which is to create the framework, then allow businesses to work.
He said this environment has motivated private sector leaders to step up.
“The government is laying down some challenges to the private sector,” he said. “And it’s exciting for me to motivate my members to answer that call.”
