The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is not happy with government’s decision to close the Wales Sugar Estate, stating that the move was taken without any consideration for the livelihoods of the workers, their families and the thousands who depend on the operations of the Estate for a living.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, January 19, the PPP stated that the workers of the estate will be plunged into economic hardship as they will be forced onto the breadline.

According to the Opposition, “this ill-advised and unilateral decision to close the Estate was taken with total disregard to its adverse impact on now struggling economy which, despite its stagnation, the government continues to spend lavishly on non-income earning activities.”

The PPP says it stands in solidarity with all workers.

“Closing the Wales Estate cannot in any way provide a good life, as the government boasts it is doing for the sugar workers, their families and those who depend on the industry,” the PPP statement noted.

On Monday, the government announced the closure of the sugar estate, which is projected to make losses of between $1.6B and $1.9B in 2016, and require extensive repairs to remain operable after years of neglect.

The Ministry of Agriculture revealed that the investment required to refurbish Wales Estate remains significant, and the finances are simply not available.

“Diverting funds from the other estates to keep Wales afloat would seriously jeopardise the future of these estates. This cannot be allowed to happen,” the statement noted.

The estate will be closed at the end of the 2016 second crop; with effect from 2017, farmers’ canes will be milled at the Uitvlugt factory. During this year, the routing of the farmers’ cane to Uitvlugt would be determined to ensure the least additional cost; agricultural workers at Wales will be absorbed by Uitvlugt up to the extent of suitable vacancies on that location. Surplus labour would have to be made redundant; and the same principle would apply to the other departments.

Meanwhile, $12B has been set aside in Guyana’s 2016 budget to safeguard the ailing sugar industry. This was on Sunday communicated to a large and attentive audience of diaspora Guyanese gathered at Naresa Palace in Ozone Park in New York City, USA, by First Vice President and Prime Minister of Guyana, Mr Moses Nagamootoo, as he gave his audience an insight into the 2016 National Budget.

The Prime Minister said that under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) had suffered immensely and had accumulated a debt of $82B, but this has been trimmed by some $4B by the APNU+AFC Government in December 2015. The GuySuCo debt now stands at $78.6B, and Government has signalled its intention to further bail out the industry.