THE President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Komal Chand, yesterday, bemoaned the shortcomings of management of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and repeated his call for the constitution of a new and competent Board of Directors.

President Donald Ramotar, in response, publicly offered Chand a post on the Board, adding that once on the Board, the union leader may be exposed to a better understanding of the challenges facing management.
Both officials made their remarks at yesterday’s Enmore Martyrs Day rally at the Enmore Martyrs monument site.
“As far as the Board is concerned, we will have a new Board and I am inviting, publicly, the President of the union, if he so desires….the President of the union is invited to sit on the next GuySuCo Board to help manage the industry and see for himself if the management is trying to shortchange the workers, and we will give the Union the highest seat in this regard,” the President said.
The Head of State added that this invitation to Chand to be a member of the Board was extended before, but he had declined.
Mr. Ramotar appealed for understanding in relation to the Government’s commitment to not only the sugar workers in the country, but all Guyanese workers from feeling the kind of pain that is happening in other countries,” he said, referring to the massive layoffs and pay cuts being undertaken in other Caribbean countries.
Additionally, Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy had previously publicly stated that the life of the current board was extended by six months to June 30, and the new Board’s appointment is not scheduled to come on stream until July 1.
He explained that President Donald Ramotar is looking at a number of recommendations for “radical” changes.
Ramsammy added that the Head of State is engaged in talking to people who have been recommended, and he assured that the focus is on persons who will bring experience to the industry, business and marketing, agronomy and mechanization, because these are the issues the industry battles.
“The President is discussing all of the options at hand….I believe the new Board will find favour with both sides of this House…we are trying to put together a professional Board and I do believe that GuySuCo needs and should have a professional board,” Ramsammy said.
The sugar industry is projected to record an improvement of 15.6 percent in output to 215,910 tonnes in 2014, and a whopping $6B has been allocated to the sector in the 2014 Budget, given the industry’s important role in national development.
Among the measures to be undertaken to ensure a turn-around of the industry, for which the allocation addresses, are increased production and lower cost of production, diversified target markets, and expansion of value added production in order to survive.
In 2013, sugar exports accounted for 8.3 percent of total exports valued at US$112.2M and the industry contributed 3.9 percent of the country’s GDP.
Written By Vanessa Narine