2011 to be landmark year for GuySuCo – Persaud

Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud has said the administration is confident that next year will be a landmark year for the sugar industry. He gave the National Assembly an update on the troubles of the Guyana Sugar Corporation on Thursday, December 23rd. 

One day after President Bharrat Jagdeo met with sugar workers, Persaud revealed to the house government’s confidence in turning around the sugar industry and restoring it to its former glory. “We are very confident, and we look forward to next year, 2011, Mr Speaker, as being a very landmark year in terms of the industry being robust, and being strong, and being on firm footing to withstand the effects of the price cuts and the other challenges,” the minister disclosed. 

He stated that, based on the investments government has made and the results of the turnaround plan, GuySuCo is expected to reach a production target of 300,000 tonnes in 2011. 

In 2009, government had, through land sales, provided G$4 billion to the ailing sugar company, and another G$2 billion was approved for GuySuCo by the National Assembly on Thursday, December 23rd. The G$720 million for the five per cent salary increase, announced by the president when he met with workers on Wednesday, will come from this sum. 

The agriculture minister promised that the government would continue to assist GuySuCo because of the industry’s importance to the economy. “Very soon, there will be further support and further relief, so that we can insist and ensure that the management and all the stakeholders are able to take the industry where Guyana requires it to be,” Persaud assured the house. 

Over the past 10 years, government said, some US$157 million have been invested in the sugar sector. Nevertheless, that entity continues to face growing problems associated with climate change and the European Union price cuts, which will see GuySuCo losing G$9 billion for this year alone. 

Meanwhile, in a motion, Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament Khemraj Ramjattan called for the agriculture and labour ministers “to provide adequate explanations to the people of Guyana on the true state of affairs of the sugar industry, and the industrial relations therein.”  

He believes that the current situation, which was described as an issue of national importance, demands a debate in the National Assembly. According to Ramjattan, the numerous strikes, production shortfalls, and now the union derecognition threat are all causes for concern. The AFC MP believes, too, that the 18-month-old strategic plan is “obviously failing,” and a debate to revise this is necessary. 

However, Minister Robert Persaud reminded the AFC parliamentarian of his objections to GuySuCo getting the G$4 billion from the government in 2009, and suggested that the AFC supports the shutting down of the industry. 

 “Ramjattan’s ploy is to use sugar workers to gain political traction, which the workers will not tolerate,” the minister said. 

According to the minister, the GAWU derecognition threat should not be raised as an issue, since President Jagdeo   has made it clear that this will never happen under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government. It is also the minister’s opinion that the Parliament has already extensively deliberated on the sugar industry. “Ramjattan, as a member of the Economic Services Sectoral Committee of the National Assembly, is fully aware of the ample parliamentary deliberations,” Persaud added.