COVID-19 Task force rejects the PSC’s call to restructure COVID-19 operations

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) said it is gravely concerned that the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) appointed to “coordinate and oversee the measures being taken by various front-line agencies and to give these agencies, especially health workers the support they need”, is not functioning in several key areas as would be expected.

In a statement on Friday the PSC emphasised its disappointment in the manner in which the government has approached the management of the COVID-19 crisis which daily threatens the lives and economic welfare of all citizens and businesses of Guyana. “The PSC wishes to reiterate, as we stated since March 31, 2020, that the NCTF must be restructured to reflect a truly national task force, inclusive of all major stakeholders, social, business, religious and political, from a wide cross section of the country. The Task Force must include and embrace health professionals, private sector business support organisations, sectorial bodies, NGOs, and an economic committee to address the impacts on the economy and to implement a recovery plan,” the statement noted.

Responding to the PSC’s charges, COVID-19 Task Force representative Mark Archer stated that, “While the PSC engages in partisan  criticism of the work of the COVID-19 Task Force, the men and women who make up the Executive Secretariat of the NCTF are working; steadfastly creating preventative measures against the disease  in an effort to safeguard citizens’ health.”

Mr Archer went on to state that, “We have completed a National Plan of Action to counter the disease; We have overseen the work of the East Coast Demerara Infectious Disease Hospital ( formerly the Ocean View Hotel which is slated to be completed on 13th July); we have directed rapid response to unexpected and emergency incidents; we have developed short term plans for disease prevention; and continue to communicate directly with agencies, ministries, regional task forces and stakeholders ensuring the protection of health and safety of the wider community. These are just a few of the activities that the men and women of the Executive Secretariat engage in on a daily basis and finally, daily we disseminate accurate information with regards to COVID-19 to the public and we are proud of the hard working public servants and volunteers who are assisting us in this fight.”

The Private Sector Commission, said too that from the beginning, it has supported the mandatory use of masks, the practice of effective social distancing, and the need for sufficient COVID-19 tests to be conducted. Further, the PSC said their organization has submitted several comprehensive recommendations for economic measures to relieve the financial impact on the country and, in particular, economic measures to cushion the impact on small businesses and vulnerable individual citizens. These measures include tax relief, emergency funding, deferment of payment for public utility services, and rescheduling of loans and mortgages.

The statement ends, “The PSC continues to do its part by frequently being engaged with the Civil Defence Commission and other key stakeholders. “