OPPOSITION Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo said the government can do more to ensure Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) workers benefit from a salary increase.

GuySuCo has an estimated workforce of 10,000 persons at the three sugar estates and workers received a salary increase back in 2014. Jagdeo told a news conference at his Church Street office, on Thursday that funds from the $30 billion bond that was secured to recapitalise the three estates or funds from the sale of the estates that were closed, could be used to meet the salary increase.

He said the government cannot now claim it is up to the board of directors to decide on the salary increases when it is the government that decides how the industry functions. Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder, had contended that with GuySuCo’s financial position, an increase in pay may not be possible.

Jagdeo, however, argued that government can do more to ensure the workers benefit. “They do have the money they raised for GuySuCo on using GuySuCo’s assets as the pledge which was transferred to them. Why can’t they use some of these resources? They don’t have to go back to Parliament. They don’t have to use the Contingency Fund. It doesn’t have to be part of the budget. They can easily transfer some of the money that they’re sitting on, paying 4.75 per cent interest on…. they could easily transfer it to GuySuCo and finance the salary increase,” Jagdeo noted.

Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, who has responsibility for NICIL, said any possibility of a pay increase for sugar workers must be dealt with by the board of GuySuCo. “The sugar workers come under a corporation that has a board and they will have to deal with the realities of the corporation,” Jordan told reporters on November 20.