Grenada Today - The National Newspaper of Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell has lashed out at the island's Private Sector saying that it can no longer be acceptable for them and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to selfishly use their own political or other forms of bias as a means of making decisions of national or even community importance.

The Grenadian leader made the comment last Thursday while delivering the feature address at the Sixth Annual Venture Point Conference held at the Grand Beach Resort in the south of the island.

Venturepoint 2005 was organised by Venture Capital Incentive Programme (VCIP) of Trinidad and Tobago. It is an initiative developed by the government in the twin island Republic as a result of the direct response to the need to bridge the gap between demand and supply of financial capital in Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs).

Dr. Mitchell said that private sector bodies must take a greater interest in the governance of their country and seek to create new and innovative ideas which should serve to help governments advance and develop their economies.

"Too often private sector groups take what can be called a negative interest in government and governance", he told the gathering. Relations are said to be rather cold between the Grenadian leader and the island's leading private sector body - the Grenada Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GCIC).

Prime Minister Mitchell has been refusing to meet with Chamber President, Nigel John who had written to him asking for a judicial inquiry into the allegations that he had accepted a half-a-million dollar bribe from German fraudster, Eric Resteiner for a diplomatic posting.

Governor-General, Sir Daniel Williams has appointed Barbadian attorney-at-law, Dr. Richard Cheltenham as the sole commissioner to investigate the allegation. The commissioner began the inquiry on Monday at the Trade Centre in the south of the island.

Dr. Mitchell called at the session for private bodies to lift themselves above partisanship and look out for the greater good of the community and the country. He also said that governments must recognise their responsibility to the private sector in that they must seek to create stable and democratic environments for businesses to thrive.

He pointed out that governments must also provide economic and social incentives for businesses to make their working environments more conducive to development. "Governments should use their international and regional influence to advance the cause of local businesses especially as it relates to trade, and competition", he added.

Dr. Mitchell was high in praise for the organisers of the Sixth Annual Venture Point Conference. He noted that the initiative represents two very crucial cooperative links both of which Grenada has benefitted from and will continue to benefit in this post Hurricane Ivan period.

Dr. Mitchell sees Venture Point as representing a collaboration which is crucial to the survival of the region in that it can be termed a public/private sector partnership or (PPP). He believes that programmes like these clearly recognise that development of a country is not in the hands of any one stakeholder but must be the responsibility of all citizens.

"Therefore the Government cannot take full responsibility nor can the private sector. They must recognise that working together is the best possible outcome for development", he said. "Governments and private sector bodies must encourage these kinds of partnerships and seek to foster their development", he added.