The time has come for both the private sector and the National Assembly to begin thinking of developing fulltime capacity to manage their engagements.Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran,holesale Soccer Jerseys, expressed this notion during a presentation on “The National Assembly as a facilitator and promoter of investment and business activities in Guyana”.The Speaker was at the time addressing members and stakeholders of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association Ltd during a business luncheon at Regency Suites yesterday. Ramkarran said that the fulltime capacity may not be a difficult task for the private sector.As a start, he noted, consideration can be given to elevating the Chairs and Deputy Chairs of Sectoral Committees,Cheap Soccer Jerseys, to be provided for in the Standing Orders, to be fulltime MPs with minimum salaries to be paid.In this way, he added, the work of both the private sector and the National Assembly can be immeasurably enhanced.“The business community is one section of society, which is substantially affected by what Parliament does and it must get on the front seat if it seeks to protect its interests and those of the community, to preserve and advance business activity.You cannot expect someone else to be looking out for you and your interests. You must do so yourself and organize yourself in such a way that this can be done competently and efficiently,” the Speaker told the gathering.The next layer of responsibility falls on the Government, which promulgates all legislation in Guyana.“It is for you and the Government to establish modalities for consultation,” he added.With regard to the National Assembly, it that body’s responsibility, the speaker said, to inform and educate the public and the various interests in the community as to the possibilities and avenues, which exist to communicate their views to the lawmakers and at the same time to the wider community.The Economic Services Committee provides a major Parliamentary forum to which the business community can take its concerns.“No such forum existed prior to 2005. The business community had no possibility of engaging the Parliament independently, as an institution. It could only have done so through its individual members or their political parties,’ Ramkarran added.This committee, he noted, can convene hearings, take evidence, and report its conclusions to the National Assembly.“Of course,Cheap Jerseys From China Online, the business community has to find ways, by lobbying and other means,Cheap NFL Jerseys, to persuade the appropriate Parliamentary Committee to take on board its particular concern and to consider it important enough to place the matter on its agenda,” the Speaker added.The business community, he noted, needs to familiarize itself with lobbying skills, Parliament’s procedures and personalities involved.“Where it has to deal with specific legislation, it has to build the capacity to monitor what the National Assembly is doing, to understand it, to determine its views in a timely manner, to mobilize its members and to intervene.The establishment of strong and independent relationships between business organizations and parliamentary committees is proper and desirable.It is the duty of all stakeholders on both sides to seek out opinions and to offer opinions.” “There is frequent and irresponsible talk, sometimes from people, who ought to know better, that Parliament is a ‘rubber stamp’.”The basis, the National Assembly speaker said, is that the Government has the majority in the National Assembly and would vote for everything it wants and against anything it does not want.The reason why it is important for this perception to be erased is that if it persists, stakeholders, including the private sector, would refuse to take hold of and develop the opportunities which exist to influence the legislature,Cheap China Jerseys, Ramkarran added.“I am quite certain that there will be much frustration along the way in trying to bring matters before Sectoral Committees or trying to influence legislation but that is the nature of the business.” ‘You win some and you lose some,’ the Speaker said.However, this is all part of the efforts necessary to develop a permanent and long term capacity,Cheap NBA Jerseys China, because both the private sector and the legislature will be permanent features of Guyana’s society, Ramkarran noted.The Constitution of Guyana defines the functions of the National Assembly as making laws for ‘the peace, order and good government of Guyana.’It also contains a head-note ‘Private Enterprise’ the section of which provides that ‘privately owned enterprises shall be fa