Chamber objects to Jason Hayward’s criticism on TV
The Bermuda Chamber of Commerce has taken issue with the Government again after a Cabinet minister said that the group was non-collaborative.
In a statement on Tuesday night, it said it was “regrettable” that the group had been branded as non-engaging.
The chamber added: “This assertion does not reflect our track record, not the many engagements we have had across multiple ministries.”
The statement was released after Jason Hayward, the Minister of Economy and Labour, described the chamber as failing to get into “meaningful collaboration” in a ZBM interview that aired on Monday night.
Mr Hayward’s ministry said tonight that collaboration between the Government and the chamber had “fallen short”.
He said during the interview: “There has been no example of where the chamber has come together and worked with the Government on any economic initiative since the Progressive Labour Party has been re-established into the Government.”
Mr Hayward later went on to suggest that the chamber’s feedback towards the Economic Development Strategy was “extremely shallow and anaemic”.
The statement said that the chamber represented nearly 700 businesses across “every major sector of Bermuda’s economy”.
It listed eight challenges on which the chamber had worked with the Government, including contributing to work-permit reform and offering input into a payroll tax scheme.
The statement added: “While this collaboration may not always be public or headline-grabbing, it has been consistent, deliberate and focused on tangible improvements.”
It said the chamber had suggested several enhancements, including meetings, government liaisons and better data-sharing.
It added: “These are not symbolic gestures; they are actionable steps towards better collaboration.”
Relations between the chamber and Government have been tense over the past week.
David Burt, the Premier, appeared to suggest in the House of Assembly on June 13 that the group’s work on housing and population numbers was guesswork.
Marico Thomas, the president of the chamber, rejected this suggestion, describing the group’s data as “responsible analysis”.
He later added: “Dismissive remarks, without explanation, can inadvertently undermine collaboration.”
A spokeswoman for the Cabinet Office said later that Mr Thomas had misinterpreted the Premier’s comments, adding that he was not speaking directly about the chamber’s presentation.
In the interview with ZBM, Mr Hayward said that the chamber and the Government had “conflicting data” because of “the inability of the chamber to work together with the Government on economic development”.
He added: “I’m calling on the chamber to be more proactive as it pertains to having meaningful engagement with the Government around economic development initiatives so that we can work on one of these policy solutions together.
“If the Chamber of Commerce has policy solutions that they would want the Government to consider as it pertains to improving the economy, then I’m all ears and I’m happy to collaborate with the chamber as much as I can.”
Mr Hayward, when asked for comment, said: “The Government remains ready to work collaboratively with the chamber on solutions that truly serve the people of Bermuda.
“Public back-and-forth through the media does little to improve the lives of Bermudians.
“It must also be acknowledged that collaboration between the chamber and the Government to date has fallen short.
“We believe there is real potential for a more constructive and productive partnership and we are committed to working towards that goal.”
• To view the full statement, see Related Media
• UPDATE: the story has been updated to clarify that the response from Jason Hayward was attributable to him, not the Ministry of Economy and Labour
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