Dear Editor
THE recent retrenchment of significant numbers of sugar workers makes it obvious that we are finally moving away from an industry that we have failed to turn around. This must come as a real relief to Guyanese not involved in that industry, because we have paid money from our own pockets to keep it afloat for too long. As a country, however, and before we proceed to developing future industries, we must pause to examine what went wrong in turning it around, if we are to learn from this experience.

In 2010, with questions about the Skeldon sugar factory’s ability to deliver on its promise to produce five times as much sugar as our existing facilities, then President Bharrat Jagdeo said some important things. First, he said that if Skeldon didn’t perform sugar would be “dead,” and second that he himself would personally get involved to ensure that the factory performed as it should. Well needless to say, Skeldon never lived up to the lofty promises. Guyanese deserve an apology from the former President for a management failure we could have ill-afforded.

Even further, what were his goals in turning around this industry? To lower costs below our competitors? Rather, he said his goal was just to make us competitive enough to stay afloat. The goal was never really to create a robust industry, just to preserve one that is totally dependent on the PPP/C. Prime Minister Nagamootoo, who has himself advocated for the sugar industry for his entire career, rightly said that all the PPP/C see sugar workers as, is sugar workers.

There’s no plan for them to move up and forward in their lives — this is especially a problem when you consider there was little training to prepare sugar workers for a more mechanised future. What was the then President’s actual strategy? That the industry should limp along forever? Maybe if the previous administration had been more ambitious, and not merely looking to preserve the industry for political reasons, it would have been refreshed and made the turnaround necessary. But it didn’t, and the blame must fall squarely on the man who said he would get “personally” involved.

The current administration is presiding over a difficult transition out of sugar, that much is certain. But all this would have been for nothing if we do not learn that industries must be strengthened and grown, not just put on life support to act as political tools. An apology is due to the Guyanese public, and we are all waiting.

Regards
Malcolm Marshall