Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Karl Samuda, has called for increased partnership between the public and the private sectors in areas where it can be beneficial to the development of both sectors.

Samuda, who was speaking at the Caribbean Business Renewable Conference, at the Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston, last Friday, said, while there are differences between the sectors, creating a regulatory framework which facilitates the expansion of opportunities is critical in going forward.

"The Government has a different set of share-holders and, as such, sometimes we tend to over-regulate and frustrate the other side of the partnership, which is the private sector, who has different ways of doing things," he said.

He said, however, that as partners, they should be able to create the appropriate database critical to their movement forward.

Playing catch up

"We must apply modern techniques, both in the private and the public sector. If we continue to do things the old-fashioned way, by not affording labour an opportunity to experience and achieve its full potential, through the introduction of applied technology, then we will forever be playing catch up," he said.

Minister Samuda also acknow-ledged that partnerships have been created between the sectors in the past, in the areas of the construct-ion of highways, airports, shipping services, housing facilities and telecommunications.

He said that a framework should be laid out in which the private sector can operate, by Government releasing to the private sector all that is required to make it do what it does best, which is earn profit and create jobs.

The conference was hosted by the Mona School of Business of the University of the West Indies. It was held under the theme: 'Providing Strategic and Sustainable Solutions for Public and Private Sector Organisation'.