–a viable alternative for ailing sugar industry

MINISTER within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott, has said that cooperatives can possibly take the place of the ailing sugar industry once persons realise the true value of the long-forgotten practice.

As a reminder of what that practice was, the minister said a cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations, through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise.

“We need to foster this in our communities, villages and even towns,” said the minister at the launch of the Guyana National Co-operative Union Limited (GNCUL)’s training of co-operatives trainers’ programme on Friday.
The minister made direct reference to communities affected by the ailing sugar industry, in that only recently, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) had to lay off 4000 sugar workers in order to keep it viable.
He believes that those communities such as Wales, on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD), and those on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) and other areas could thrive again once they form cooperatives.
Scott encouraged persons to work together in order to form subsistence economies and joint ventures that will earn them incomes.
Persons were reminded that the co-op movement started after the abolition of slavery in 1838, when the former slaves pooled their resources to purchase the plantations and make a living.

The minister went on to say that understanding and appreciation of this society’s evolution would recognise that cooperatives play in social, economic, political and cultural development.

“Cooperatives speak to joint ownership and management, where the benefits and profits are shared. This also fosters commitment to achieve success, and where challenges exist to work together to resolve them,” he said.

In the light of what was said, the minister announced that they intend to form cooperatives in Ithaca, Buxton, Beterverwagting and Mocha-Arcadia.
Scott said he hopes that after noticing the transformation in those villages, other communities would be willing to adopt a similar practice.
GNCUL Chairman Derek Cummings echoed similar sentiments, saying that after the 1970s, cooperatives disappeared but they are hoping to resurrect it.
He said that the training, which will run up to April this year, will educate persons on how to form and manage cooperatives. Those persons will then be tasked with training persons from their various communities to adopt that practice.