Dear Editor,

AS the sugar industry has started to be scaled down under this government, I want to give my fair share of the take on this.  I know that what I write here will be cussed out by some political commentators, especially those that are having TV programmes on NTN and LRTVS Channel10 in Berbice.  Some of them may even write in the print media trying to swing the story as they want, just to get more fame through their lies and deception.

As we all know, sugar is not profitable in Guyana anymore.  But due to circumstances, the PPP had to get the industry rolling.  Rolling in the sense that no matter what happens to the economy, sugar must stay.  But we all know that was just a merry go round for political come around.

I won’t deal with the EU cut in prices, but will deal with what has been happening since APNU+AFC took government in May 2015.  Many, especially the sugar workers attached to Rosehall Estate in Region Six, as was reported by the PPP and their supported media outlets to date, is that tears are flowing from the eyes of both the worker and family members as they are wondering what they are going to do for Christmas, etc?.

As I have said over and over, sugar workers need to think for themselves and not to allow the PPP and those political commentators to tell them what to do or how to think.  Workers need to sit and reflect as to who are the ones that brought this hardship to them and downfall to the sugar industry?.

I can recall in May 2015 that it was the then CEO of Guysuco, Raj Singh, and the PPP that announced to the nation that Guysuco is BANKRUPT and due to that the entire industry will have to be closed in a few days.

Although the PPP, GAWU and GuySuco knew that the industry was cash-strapped, they never told the workers and their families before the elections as to what is the state of Guysuco. Why? Because they would have lost thousands more of their votes if they had so done.  So, they decided to keep it as a secret and fool the workers along with their families.

I am not hearing the PPP and GAWU, nor the political commentators saying anything of this nature.  I am not hearing the PPP and GAWU telling the workers and their families, we are the ones that fooled you all for our personal reasons and gains.  No, they won’t do that, because they have no respect for the sugar workers and their families.

The PPP is parading around the villages showing sad faces as if they care for the workers.  It is sad to see people who created this crisis that the workers are facing going around as if they never did any wrong when in government.

The PPP had to pump the billions of dollars as they were doing into the industry to safeguard their political future, especially as a government, because we all know that the PPP’s strongholds are within the sugar belt.  So they didn’t care at that moment what the consequences would be for the industry and economy in the years to come.  All they cared for was political power.

If this government had wanted to close the entire sugar industry down, then they would have used Raj Singh and the PPP’s recommendations\announcement in May 2015.  They would have told you the workers that the PPP had announced such and they have to do that because the PPP was a government then.

But no, lo and behold, this government did not do that. This government is seeking ways and means to preserve the industry.  This government wants to make the industry profitable again and that is why they have decided to close a few estates that are not profitable and keep those burning that are making their targets.

Yes, I see that this government will seek ways for those workers that will lose their jobs to regain employment.  Yes, I see alternatives will be put in place for those workers.

How can we trust the PPP?  ALL of their MPs told the supporters of the party, the entire country and world at large that they would never take the raise this government gave them in their MP salaries and they would put it in a special account.  What a shame and disgrace that today many of them collected that raise in salary.

So the PPP cannot be trusted anymore with the running of this country.

Brothers and sisters, we all know that not everything is ok in the sugar industry or country.  Nowhere in the world will everything be ok in a country after decades of corruption.  Things will be difficult at times and we need to make much and work to ensure we have better days ahead.  We need to cooperate to build our land, we need to be each other’s keepers towards the future.  We need to stand with each other for a better Guyana.

Let’s not allow the PPP to darken our minds and empty our brains towards thinking positively.  We must open our minds and hearts and look at what’s happening.  Let’s look at the positives that are taking place in every region of this country.  Let’s look at what the future holds under this hard-working and people’s government.

Our future will be bright under the APNU+AFC government, but things take time and time is precious, so don’t waste it.  Let’s unite and work for a better Guyana under this government, under your government.

I will make yet another call on the leader of the PPP, who seems to so care for something that he has destroyed, to take his parliamentary salaries since January 2017 and donate it to the sugar workers and their families of Rosehall Estate if you so care about their well-being.

I will call on the leader of the PPP to demand that all his MPs that took the raise in salaries to bring back the monies along with their salaries since January 2017 and donate it to the workers and their families of Rosehall Estate.

I call on GAWU who is now kicking up a storm after years of neglecting the rights of the workers by failing to truly represent them, to take all of their union dues since January 2017 and donate it to the workers and their families of Rosehall Estate.

Take the challenge, so the world will see that you all care about the well-being of the workers and their families.

Regards
Abel Seetaram
Regional Councillor
Region Five.