Joseph M. Matalon, chairman of the ICD Group of Companies, is the new president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ). The 50-year-old economist was elected yesterday.

He succeeds Christopher Zacca of the ATL Group, who stepped down after serving for two years and six months. Matalon was elected by five individual members, 10 companies and 21 business associations.

Three vice-presidents, a secretary, treasurer and executive committee of seven officers were also appointed.

The vice-presidents are Jacqueline Sharp, P.B. Scott and Nicholas Scott. Joe Taffe is the treasurer and Earl Jarrett, the secretary.

Extensive dialogue

Matalon told The Gleaner that extensive dialogue with the Government on economic issues, especially ways of reducing its debt, will be the main thrust of his administration.

"The issues we intend to pursue will not be narrow sectoral interests. We all want to live in a prosperous country and one of the ways we can do that is to influence public-policy formulation," he said.

Matalon stated that one way to have robust debate is the Partnership for Transformation meetings, which were started by the Zacca administration. It involves business leaders, the Government, the parliamentary opposition and unions.

Another area of concern for the new PSOJ head is crime. Opinion polls commissioned by The Gleaner consistently show runaway crime as the biggest concern for Jamaicans.

Finding solutions

Here again, Matalon said he and his members plan to hold in-depth discussions with legislators and law enforcement officials to find solutions.

"It (crime) has to be the focus of any organisation that says it has the progress of a country in its interest," he said.

A graduate of the London School of Economics, Joseph M. Matalon represents the third generation of the Matalon family, a dynasty in Jamaican commerce, which played a major role in shaping the country's industrial sector.

He has been a member of the PSOJ for more than 25 years. In the 1980s, he served as a vice-president of the organisation and chaired its economic policy committee for three years.

He served on the committee that drafted the general consumption tax in 1991 and was chairman of the Tax Policy Review Committee, set up by the Government in 2003.