On Tuesday 13th May 2025, the Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Roger Mancienne was presented with the Public Enterprises Annual Report 2023 from the Public Enterprises Monitoring Commission (PEMC). Representing the PEMC was the Chairperson Mr. William Zarine, Deputy CEO Mr. Kalum Bandara, Senior Business Analyst Mr. Dixon Bastienne, and Business Analyst Ms. Marela Servina.
The Speaker began by expressing his appreciation and interest in reviewing the reports, particularly the financial performance sections, in greater depth. He also remarked on the increased density of this year’s report, in comparison to the previous year, indicating improved reporting mechanisms. The Chairperson then explained that the Annual Report is now a more detailed and technical document, for which he thanked the Analyst Team for their continued efforts and attention to detail.
Discussions then turned to the new Public Enterprise Act, 2023, which came into effect on the 1st of June 2023. Mr. Zarine and Mr. Bandara provided succinct updates on their experience since the Act’s implementation, noting that while they have managed existing workloads with the current number of staff, they still lack sufficient resources and personnel to fully integrate the provisions of the Act.Mr. Zarine further explained that it may take some time before they are able to fully and effectively implement the Act. Hon. Mancienne commended their work despite the resource constraints that have hindered full implementation.Mr. Bandara also mentioned that, looking ahead, they hope to develop a strategy to align the varying agendas of different State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), with the goal of achieving this alignment by late-2026 or early-2027.
The Speaker concluded by thanking the delegation, emphasising the value of such presentations in which organisations visit the National Assembly to present their reports and raise awareness among legislators.
