-says Opposition does not have country’s interest at heart
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud has expressed disappointment with recent statements made by Presidential Candidate for the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), David Granger, emphasizing that his recent statement speaks of inadequate and poor economic understanding of Guyana’s reality. Granger, at a recent luncheon organised by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), while outlining his party’s intention for the future of Guyana, stated that once elected, it would seek to privatise the sugar industry. The subject Minister said that the recent statement confirms the Opposition’s perspective on matters of interest and clearly shows that they do not have the country’s or the sugar industry’s interest at heart.
“There are challenges facing the sugar industry globally, which we are also experiencing.  But, both from a trade and weather standpoint, it is not wise to shut it down and I think this should remind Guyanese of how concerned they are about the welfare of sugar workers and the many thousands of Guyanese who depend directly and indirectly on this industry,” he said.
The sugar industry currently accounts for 16 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and according to Minister Persaud, the many benefits of the industry to the wider cross section of society cannot be discounted.
Government continues to invest in the sugar industry, to maintain its stability, to prevail, diversify and develop, despite constraints and detractors that may arise from time to time.