-President urges opposition, unions, civil society to bring ideas on future of sugar

DESPITE a possible investment in Guyana’s ailing sugar industry by an India-based company, the Government is still open to recommendations from relevant stakeholders regarding the future of the industry.

This is according to President David Granger, who, on Thursday during the recording of his weekly television programme, The Public Interest, said that the executive recognises the need for consensus on the way forward for the industry.
The Government last year embarked on talks with the political opposition, unions and civil society, whereby it expected recommendations to be made for the future of sugar in Guyana.
And while no clear path has been recommended and agreed upon, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) continues to receive the injection of large sums of money to keep the industry afloat.

Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder, had projected in December that the corporation would require $18B in 2017 and an additional $21B in 2018, if its operations were to be continued.
GuySuCo has been operating at a loss over the years, due to tumbling global sugar prices and the corporation’s inability to reduce its cost of production; hence, the need for government bailouts.

It was recently announced that Srinath Ispat Limited, a firm based in India with extensive knowledge of the sugar industry, will be in Guyana from Monday to have dialogue with the Government on possible investment in GuySuco.
Notwithstanding this, the President said on his television show that the Government has been doing its best by spending billions of dollars on the industry every year, but that this “burden” on the country should be brought to an end. Last year, $11B was given to the corporation by the government.

“In all good faith, we have sought dialogue with the opposition and the unions and we would like them to bring up ideas; we’d like civil society to bring up ideas, so we arrive at a consensus that all Guyanese can be satisfied with,” President Granger said.
He said that in relation to talks, the Government will not approach those with any prejudice, except for the fact that the sugar industry must not be a burden to Guyanese taxpayers.
“We want to save the jobs of the persons working there; we want Guyana to continue to have a viable sugar industry and that is why we are meeting and speaking with people. So we haven’t agreed on any outcome, except that the outcome be acceptable to the Guyanese,” the Head-of-State said.

Reflecting on the contributions of the once thriving industry, the President also pointed out that sugar is one of the oldest industries in Guyana and many of our foreparents were brought here to cut sugar cane.
He said that it is a large employer, occupying a large part of Guyana’s land space, and as such Government will not “rush ahead” with any decision.
Optimistic in his reasoning, the President said that as government continues to meet stakeholders, he hopes that those engagements will conclude as quickly as possible, so a solution could be forthcoming at the soonest possible time.

Meanwhile, GuySuco officials have advised that the industry is one not worth investing in, unless plans for the reorganisation, restructuring and diversification of the industry are present. Attempts at diversification are currently being made at Wales Sugar Estate, which halted sugar production last year.