THE scheduled year-end closure of the Rose Hall and Enmore estates will be delayed until 2018, since no system has been put in place for the sugar workers following the closure, Minister of State Joseph Harmon announced Thursday.

Workers and their union, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) have been calling on government to push back the closure of the estates.
Speaking at a post-Cabinet press conference, Harmon reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring that the best interest of the sugar workers is taken into consideration before decisions are made regarding the sector.

The National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Special Purpose Unit (SPU) processes, which involve valuation, surveys, inventorying and other assessments of the sugar industry are still to be completed, the state minister disclosed.
As it relates to a proposal by the Private Sector Commission (PSC) for the purchase of the Enmore Estate, Minister Harmon said all proposals will be analysed by the SPU, then at an appropriate time, a response will be provided.

He assured too that severance will be paid to the sugar workers, where necessary, since, “the welfare of the workers is the primary consideration of this administration and we will not see workers put on the breadline in that manner, without some recourse.”
Plans are on stream to train the workers for employment in other fields, as part of the post-closure recommendations.

The $130M SPU was established in July 2017 to manage the divestment of the Skeldon Factory and other Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) assets.
The sum was covered under a supplementary provision on the Current and Capital estimates totalling $6.395B for the period January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017, that was brought before the House for approval, by the Minister of Finance.