–President says GMC retailing commodity nationwide at $150 per lb for packaged and $140 per lb for bulk

HOURS after affirming that the local demand for sugar will be met, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has announced that the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) will be selling the packaged commodity at $150 per pound (lb), while it will be sold in bulk for $140 per lb.

“My brothers and sisters, I have heard your concerns about the availability and price of sugar in Guyana,” the President wrote on his official Facebook page, adding that the commodity will be sold at markets nationwide.

According to Dr. Ali, sugar will be sold at the Charity and Anna Regina markets, Region Two; the Parika, Leonora, Vreed-en-Hoop and Wales markets, Region Three; the Diamond, Bourda, Mon Repos and Mahaica markets, Region Four; the Bushlot and Rosignol markets, Region Five; the New Amsterdam, Port Mourant and Skeldon markets, Region Six, and the Linden Market, Region 10.

President Ali, on Tuesday, had said that the local demand for sugar will be met, as the government is working to implement systems that will boost the distribution of this commodity within the coming days.
Responding to questions on the sidelines of an event, President Ali said that systems are being implemented to ensure that Guyanese are not met with any significant price increase once a new batch of products hit the local market.

The products he was referring to are bags of sugar being produced daily at the Uitvlugt Sugar Estate.
The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) had said that the Uitvlugt Sugar Estate has a sugar production target of some 10,800 tonnes.

This new production target comes as the estate recently completed successful machinery trials following the installation of a new gearbox, which was said to be a critical part of the estate’s operation.
“They’ve [Uitvlugt] already processed I think more than 2,000 bags of sugar… what we’ll do is ensure that the Guyana Marketing Corporation secures a lot of that. So, they can help in the distribution, so there is no price gouging,” President Ali said.

Those comments come as several commodities remain in short supply around the world because of the current supply-chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Addressing comments about the supposed shortage of sugar on the local market because of reported smuggling, President Ali said he intends to have stakeholders in the security sector investigate and stop any such activities which would prevent Guyanese from having access to this necessity.

“I’ll have the security forces look at it, it is a high possibility. There are shortages all around us. There are shortages all around us so people are hunting supplies and once you go hunting supplies, you do find any way to get the supplier,” Dr. Ali said.

He further related that the government has been implementing systems to deal directly with any potential shortages or price increases in local commodities. He reminded that apart from the government’s commitment to sugar production, efforts have already been made to cushion the rising fuel prices which have affected countries across the world.