Divisive politics on sugar

IT REMAINS unfortunate that Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, can only see political gains to be had by preying on the sugar workers’ concerns. On Sunday he held a rally at Adelphi Village, East Berbice, where he said to those in attendance that the Government must conduct a feasibility, diversification and social impact study before proceeding with taking any decision on sugar.
According to Mr. Jagdeo the APNU+AFC Government “will not do that study because if they did, it will disprove all that they are saying that sugar is not profitable.” During the PPP/C Government, Mr. Jagdeo held positions as junior and senior Minister of Finance and President. These are strategic and powerful portfolios that would have allowed first-hand knowledge and authority to shape GuySuCo.
The study that the Leader of the Opposition considers worthy to be done, not that it may not be so, but where for more than two decades decisions were being taken on sugar and its future known, it needs to be known if any study was done by the PPP/C. If no such study was done, Mr. Jagdeo may find it worthwhile advising why this was the approach.
GuySuCo had a Diversification Programme which started in the 1970s, but was totally dismantled under the PPP/C Government, though it was never advised if a study was done to prove the feasibility for doing so. Diamond Estate, which had prime lands in the industry and produced the highest yields in sugar was closed by the PPP/C under similar fate. Those lands were later sold, not to sugar workers, but to aligned investors who resold them at prices above market value, putting it beyond the reach of the estate workers. When Diamond was closed those workers were initially denied their redundancy benefits. Then President Jagdeo did not meet with them or advise that they protest his government or the GuySuCo as he presently advises. Instead, sugar workers were ordered to go to the La Bonne Intention Estate and work, an estate which was later closed by the PPP/C government.
The $300M redundancy payment were only made to Diamond sugar workers after they took GuySuCo to court, represented by Attorney- at-Law, Khemraj Ramjatttan, who is now Minister of Public Security. Only after this action then President Jagdeo ordered Minister of Finance, Ashni Singh to find the money to pay the workers. At the 17th May 2011 meeting held at Diamond Secondary School with sugar workers, they were told his government took a decision to pay out the money and end a court battle that could have taken years, taking a swipe also at Mr. Ramjattan for his representation of the workers. .
Sugar historically has been one of political agitations and implications. But where Mr. Jagdeo continues, in this critical moment of crisis, not to provide solutions and come up with alternative(s) to save the industry and protect the economic wellbeing of those who are likely to be affected, he is not helping the situation. His approach lends more to internecine conflicts and political divisions where in our society, since such carry racial undertone, is unhelpful.
Politically, whipping up frenzy about sugar’s future may play well for the PPP/C but sugar workers and those likely to be affected through any economic decision on GuySuCo’s future, one way or the other, cannot survive on this. This fact Mr. Jagdeo is seemingly unaware of and deservedly it is not unfair to question whether this is his sole motive.
The society could be better served should Mr. Jagdeo make public what impact study his government undertook when decisions were taken on sugar and GuySuCo. If any such study was done it may help this government and the current management of GuySuCo as they proceed. If then President Jagdeo took decisions on sugar or allowed GuySuCo to do so without any study, his government must take responsibility for making decisions in the dark and putting in train actions that hurt sugar workers, their families, and those who create economic and employment opportunities on their earnings.
In all of this, the welfare of sugar workers must be placed front and centre. Doing this requires making decisions informed by data, constructive conversations and engagements with stakeholders. This approach not only makes political sense but brings benefit to forging a nation of unity.

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