THE AFC Leaders and their acolytes will never see the positive side of anything which the PPP/C Government does. They will only criticise, complain and condemn.The recent statements, made by Robert Badal in the Stabroek News (‘The sale of Guysuco’s co-generation plant should be reversed’) have only served to confirm this.

If we go back just a while ago he had wanted to invest 8 million US dollars in the Marriott Hotel but had vociferously attacked the feasibility of this same hotel. When his offer was refused, he then resumed his attack on the feasibility of the same hotel.
Now GPL and NICIL want to make an investment by purchasing the Skeldon co-generation plant but Badal has a problem. He wants GPL to make a loan to GuySuCo instead of buying the plant. Then of course they will criticise that loan as well. Ramayya and Mark Ross had claimed in Berbice that this plant is not generating any electricity.
Badal has pointed out the cost aspect of the deal but has failed to appreciate the benefits aspect of it. The 30 million US dollars garnered from the sale of the co-generation plant will not only solve liquidity problems but will also be used to continue much needed capital works. The injection of this money into GuySuCo will see a drop in the cost of production since the benefits from such cash injection have not been visited by Badal. What he sees is just the cost of electricity that GuySuCo will be paying to GPL. GuySuCo has been and is making enormous investments in machinery, equipment ( bell-loaders, harvesters) and land conversion, and the many benefits of these will not be seen immediately. Badal needs to make a proper cost-benefit analysis before he can draw conclusions. Mr Brassington and GuySuCo have done this and they know that the benefits will far outweigh the costs, hence the move. Furthermore, Badal has failed to appreciate that GuySuCo will also be earning revenue from the sale of the bagasse to Skeldon Electricty Incorporated. In addition, GuySuCo will no longer have to meet the administrative and operational costs of the plant, nor will it have to concern itself about repairs and maintenance costs. Moreover, labour will not be displaced since the workers at the plant will be retained by Wartsila.
Badal did also deliberately deviate from the factors negatively affecting GuySuCo such as the 36% EU price cuts, the climate change which has affected not only the planting and harvesting period, but the maturity trends of the sugar cane as well, the poor labour turnout, the lack of funds for capital replacement and expansion, and the vicious circle which has resulted, and the severe decrease of sugar prices on the world market.
GuySuCo’s management has been working assiduously to improve the industry and it is improving in areas which are within their control; but the AFC and APNU can at least contribute by exhorting their members and supporters to leave politics aside and co-operate with management and show some sense of nationalism. On Thursday, even a serious accident caused by a slippery road at Albion Estate was used for political mileage by Ramayya.
Badal is also oblivious to the increase in efficiency of factory and field operations in GuySuCo which is not only resulting in increased production and productivity, but is giving workers more money in terms of bonus day pay. This increased efficiency will propel sugar production and reduce the costs of production, and an increase in sugar prices will definitely give GuySuCo the impetus it needs to overcome the final hurdles. But yet again, Ramayya wickedly decries the efforts of management and workers by claiming on DTV 8 on April 4th, that this is a ‘political gimmick’ and bribery by the PPP. How can the earning of a bonus day pay be linked to bribery when the target set at Albion is around 2,200 tons per week? Does Ramayya feel that this is an easy feat to achieve? This man always paints the worst scenario to fulfil his selfish political ambitions.
The AFC+APNU coalition has never supported the sugar industry; but since it’s election time, they have changed their tune in order to get the votes of the sugar workers; but these workers can read between the lines from what is being said by high profile members of AFC and APNU.
It is sad and disappointing that closure of the sugar industry is the only option offered by the AFC and APNU. Granger’s talk about ‘sugar too big to fail’ is just an election gimmick; it is only the PPP/C who is serious about the survival of the sugar industry. Sugar workers need to understand this ‘gimmick’ and do not fall for it.
Lastly, and disappointingly as well, Badal seems to be unaware that the cost of fuel has risen once again so that his demand for a 30% reduction in electricity is simply ridiculous.
‘IT IS TIME’ that the Opposition parties put hypocrisy and politics aside and meaningfully support GuySuCo.That is the ‘CHANGE’ that this country needs. The move by NICIL is a great strategy in divestment and investment, and strong evidence is there to support it. The Opposition should give its support. GuySuCo is indeed ‘too big to fail’, as Dr Ramsammy had pointed out a long time ago!
HASEEF YUSUF