EXPRESSING concerns last year about the viability of the sugar Industry in Guyana, Presidential candidate of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, David Granger, last evening proffered the idea of a revamping of the sugar industry should his party be elected to the government at the May 11 General and Regional elections. But this new position is one which contradicts that of his party following calls made last year by Executive member of APNU, and sugar expert, Anthony Vieira, who posited that the production of alcohol-ethanol as a replacement to sugar is a more “viable” option.

Facing a crowd of thousands last evening at their Unity Rally held at Whim, Berbice, Granger insisted on the importance of sugar to the economy of Guyana, adding that Berbice is the cutting edge of Guyana’s economy since it is perfectly positioned to aid in economic growth through the maneuverings of different sectors of production.
“We need you, Corentyne; Guyana needs you”, Granger told his audience, adding that, “We need your sugar and we are going to save sugar; we need your rice and we need your fish.”
He said that bauxite’s point of entry is through the Berbice River, while timber also comes through the Berbice River.“The Corentyne is the cutting edge of Guyana’s economy, when the Corentyne prospers, Guyana progresses,” Granger said.
With the sugar industry’s current employment of over 20,000 workers, the majority of whom are Berbicians, proposed Executive member of the APNU+AFC coalition, Khemraj Ramjattan treaded similar ground as Granger, emphasizing the importance of the revival of the sugar industry.
According to Ramjattan, the “propaganda” which was being peddled that the APNU+AFC coalition was intending to “ground” both the rice and sugar industries, were “lies”.
“We are not in any way going to close the sugar industry” Ramjattan said, while noting that the coalition intends to make the industries profitable once more to the economy.
“We have to make it profitable because it is that which creates so much employment, not just directly, but also indirectly, for so many people across this country”.
But Ramjattan’s call last evening had defeated an earlier position by himself only last year, following his support for the Opposition’s call for a shift in production from sugar to ethanol.
On March 12, 2014, in an invited comment, Ramjattan had told INews, “We have called ever since for the Government to make that investment in ethanol production the order of the day, and we have Brazil and other firms from India that can help in that regard, and also help Guyana in the long run to save billions in foreign currency and fuel”.
Taking a jab at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), the AFC Executive at that time insisted that, “We cannot allow GuySuCo to keep eating up $200B when its factories (Skeldon, Berbice) aren’t working satisfactorily.”
He opined at the same time that the Government had been fighting to keep the industry alive because they felt that they needed to provide employment for its supporters who are largely cane-cutters.
To this end, he remarked, “They want to keep them in that morass forever so as to garner votes so they are trying to paint the Opposition as if they do not care for the people; but if the government cared, they would have transformed the sector ever since.”
Having a small input on the same topic, Prime Ministerial candidate of the coalition, Moses Nagamootoo, sought to advertise the idea that, “only a real government will fix the sugar industry”, hinting that the coalition was capable of doing this.