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SOUTERN SUDAN BUSINESS FORUM
PUBLIC PRIVATE DIALOGUE
Having just emerged from a period of civil war, Southern Sudan is in a critical position to reform key aspects of its economy in order to improve economic growth. Southern Sudan is at an advantageous position because it can capitalize on the peace dividend by transforming or enacting new policies, laws and regulations in a transparent way.
The Public Private Forum provides policy makers with a platform to engage the private sector in the reform process. The structured nature of the Public Private Forum allays the risk of exclusion of important stakeholders and keeps the dialogue focused on the reform agenda.
Public Private Dialogue (PPD) is therefore an important mechanism of solving private sector constraints by developing a business environment that attracts foreign and domestic investment and stimulates domestic economic growth through reforms.
The formation of Southern Sudan Business Forum (SSBF) and officially launch under the Private Sector Development Project on 29th January, 2010 by H.E. General Salva Kiir Mayardit, the 1st Vice President of the Republic of the Sudan and President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS), sets a very important milestone and stage for advocacy and lobbying opportunities that enables the private sector to make inputs into the countries policies and legal regulatory frameworks based on their concrete understanding of the particular issues that affect their businesses.
The concept of Public Private sector dialogue is not a new phenomenon, it exists and is manifested in different forms in as far as government and private sector exists. For the case of Southern Sudan, there has been some dialogue between the public sector (GoSS) and the private sector through the Southern Sudan Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture (SSCCIA) on issues affecting the private sector and economic development of Southern Sudan. The establishment of Southern Sudan Business Forum provides a formal well structured mechanism for this dialogue.
Southern Sudan is in the process of reconstruction, building trust in the population and at the same time developing policies and laws. The PPD process provides a valuable opportunity to discuss issues openly in a transparent and participatory manner. Through this, government is able to be informed by the various private sector stakeholders on specific issues that can lead to design and implementation of reforms that are workable and have wider acceptance and at the same time gives the private sector input in policy making by ensuring that the reforms are more acceptable.
Studies have shown that governments that listen to the private sector are more likely to design credible and workable reforms. Equally, entrepreneurs who understand what their government is trying to achieve with a program of reforms are more likely to accept and support the reforms.
Through open, constant and effective dialogue, entrepreneurs gain a sense of ownership to reforms and government find it easier to implement policies successfully.
Dialogue is most effective and achieves concrete improvements in the investment climate reforms when the private sector is organized and speaks to the government in a unified voice, at regular intervals, in Working Group meetings attended by a good committed and knowledgeable representation of both sectors.
The process of dialogue is continuous and produces results gradually thus becoming part of the process of making or changing policies, laws, regulations and practices. This makes it easier for both domestic and international businesses to grow and employ more people thereby reducing poverty and enhance the human development index.
Benefits of Public Private Dialogue
· Facilitates investment climate reform by creating the momentum and accelerating the reform process.
· Promotes a better analysis and assessment of business related problems and advocate for policy reforms. Governments that listens to constraints of the private sector can devise sensible prioritization plans and workable reforms.
· Makes policy reforms easier to implement. When entrepreneurs understand what government is trying to achieve with a reform package, they are more likely to accept and work with the reforms in practice.
· Has the potential of building mutual trust and understanding between the public and private sectors thus facilitating reform efforts. This effort builds trust, cooperation and understanding simply by bringing together the two sectors on a regular basis.
· Provides an effective assessment of issues, designing appropriate solutions, implementing and monitoring & evaluating the impact of reforms.
· Can bring about desired specific policies and legal and regulatory reforms which improves the investment climate thus leading to increase in domestic and foreign investment which expands the economy resulting in increase in employment opportunities and alleviation of poverty.
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