Dear Editor,

A LETTER appearing in Stabroek News, January 6, calls for the dismissal of senior members of government due to the delayed sugar workers’ severance payments. The writer relates that over 5 billion dollars is likely to be delayed and proceeds to berate the government about this figure. But let’s take a moment to reflect on that 5 billion-dollar figure. Do Guyanese really understand the massive drain on the treasury the sugar industry is turning out to be?

Since the coalition took office, Guyanese have already spent 32 billion dollars supporting the industry, which is roughly $2,400 a month out of the pockets of hard-working taxpayers every single month. An additional five billion dollars is no small sum, and the writer simply ignores that the government is doing everything in its power to help sugar workers who were let down by the mismanagement of the industry under the PPP/C.

The administration has committed to paying severance as quickly as possible, but given the sheer scale of what GuySuCo is asking for, time after time, we can understand there will be periodic delays. I wonder if the writer paused to consider this additional severance package will cost each and every taxpayer close to $12,000, and we can only imagine the corporation eventually requesting more funds.

This is a burden we all share, and it does little good to place blame. Guyanese must pull together and ride out this storm, not pull each other down when times are tough.

Regards
Malcolm Marshall