It's no wonder there are so many watering holes about town with aging white guys hunkered over glasses filled with a rich, amber-colored elixir, hoping to drown their sorrows into gold. However, to the surprise and delight of many, help may be on the way. Last week's Third Government-Private Sector Forum, chaired by Prime Minister Hun Sen, with almost the entire Cabinet sitting behind him, and attended by around 300 investors and the like was the most visible sign of a process that has been underway for more than a year. The goal is to institutionalize a mechanism whereby those in the private sector, both local and foreign, have a vehicle for an on-going dialogue with the government that is designed to solve problems, make markets more efficient and enhance economic growth and development. Given time, a fair bit of pushing and prodding, and a bundle of patience it may just work.
Membership includes representatives from both government and business.
The PSWGs came about after an exhaustive debate over many months on how investors and the government would interact. All PSWGs met once before the Feb 7 Forum chaired by the Prime Minister. Grievances were aired and lists of suggested solutions to problems submitted by private sector representatives. The process was cleverly designed to enable the government to take the sting out of whatever laundry lists of complaints would be presented at the Forum as in the Prime Minister's address he gave the government's okay for several changes. Yes, the government will publish an Official Gazette listing all new laws enacted, and yes, museums can be open at lunchtime to make it easier for tourists to visit them, just to name a few.