THE Prime Minister has affirmed to an international audience that the Government and private sector are of one accord in advancing the competitiveness of Bahamian business.

Dr Hubert Minnis gave this confirmation at the third CEO Summit of the Americas in Lima on Friday, emphasising that such dialogue can only work when government embraces the responsibility to create an environment in which business can flourish, with transparency and integrity essential to the process.

Dr Minnis said the Bahamas seeks "to implement international best practices that will make us a leading jurisdiction in the hemisphere".

Acknowledging the presence of the Bahamian private sector at the CEO Summit, Dr Minnis added: "In support of our public-private sector initiatives is the chief executive of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers' Confederation, Edison Sumner, who I understand works closely with the Americas Business Dialogue."

Mr Sumner, as a member of the Americas Business Dialogue (ABD), recently presented at the ABD planning meeting (during the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Board of Governors meeting), in Mendoza, Argentina, on behalf of the Caribbean private sector group.