Business council wants more input in govt policy

The National Business

By HELEN TARAWA
THE Business Council is working on improving dialogue with the Government to influence decision-making on legislative and regulatory reforms, a business summit has been told.
Deloitte Partner Consulting Services Lyndei Melrose told the Speakers investment summit in Port Moresby that the business communities were being told to identify barriers that were hindering dialogue with the Government.
She presented the assessment work Deloitte had carried out with the Business Council in preparing the Year One Report Card.
She said the survey identified corruption, the unreliable supply of electricity, public perception, state of telecommunication, law and order and maintaining the environment as barriers.
Deloitte carried out an assessment on the progress made by the seven working groups in relation to the original action plan as contained in last year’s publication Development Priorities (2018 to 2022). It included a discussion relating to the priorities for each of the working groups for the next 12 months.
The four priority areas identified include:

  • Provision of infrastructure and basic services;
  • Broadening the industry base;
  • Productivity and employment, and
  • Government and regulation.

Melrose said working groups had been established for each of the focus areas.
The working groups comprised representatives from businesses, State-owned enterprises, regulators and the Government.
Over the past 12 months, the working groups worked to better understand the challenges and priorities for each of these areas.
They also identified what was necessary to enable national growth and development.