Public Policy forum at PGIM draws strong views on governance, transparency
View(s):Sri Lanka’s Postgraduate Institute of Management (PGIM) this week launched a “Public Policy for Business Leaders Programme” at the institute aimed at understanding and ensuring collaboration between the public and private sectors as a united force for the country’s development.
It was attended by senior executives of the private sector, who were given the opportunity to interact with some public servants and well known academics. There was something unique about the programme – there were no lectures; it was a discussion raising some interesting issues.
Three groups were formed with some prominent public and private sector leaders discussing good governance as a sine quo non for development and the private sector role in governance and transparency; the need to build a solid human resource base which Sri Lanka currently lacks and whether there is a need to change the structure of Sri Lanka’s economy from being agriculture-driven or industry-driven. Each group elected its Rapporteur who delivered the discussion outcomes to a plenary meeting where there was an open forum, in which everyone had a chance to comment which included a vibrant discussion on issues of governance, public policy, the need for the private sector to play a more active and progressive role instead of depending on the government to deliver everything, etc.
It was pointed out that while the private sector is the engine of growth and the government the facilitator, it also called for forging a dynamic public-private partnership based on mutual understanding of each other’s role, objectives, constraints and challenges.
The discussions were moderated and coordinated by Dr. Lloyd Fernando, Programme Director- Public Policy, PGIM.