GuySuCo CEO reveals

CHIEF Executive Officer of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), Sasenarine Singh on Wednesday revealed that the Rose Hall Sugar Estate, East Berbice Corentyne is set for a September 23, 2023 reopening.

Singh made this revelation during the Guyana Agriculture and General Workers Union (GAWU)’s 22nd delegates congress, which was held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

The CEO credited the Guyana government, under President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha for providing the required financial and technical support to begin the process of reopening all the sugar mills that were shut down under the previous administration.

“We have started the process now with the reopening of Rose Hall Estate, which is tentatively set to reopen on September 23, 2023,” he said.

Added to this, he said that GuySuCo is endeavouring to collaborate with the three unions, the largest being GAWU. Singh told the gathering that despite challenges faced in the sugar industry, they are hoping to continue working together to stay on a path to ensuring the growth of the sugar industry, and for employees to benefit from whatever value is created from such a process.

In relation to the reopening, Singh said that with GAWU and the workers on board, this is becoming a reality. “I can proudly state that this is testament to Guyanese ingenuity; it is a project that is made in Guyana, by Guyanese for Guyanese.

Also speaking briefly on the reopening of the estate, the agriculture minister stated that this is demonstrative of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) fulfilling the promises it made to the people who have always been and remain at the centre of the country’s development policy.

Recently, the National Assembly cleared supplementary funding of $1,510 billion to provide additional resources to facilitate the rehabilitation of 1,572 hectares of land at the Albion, Blairmont, Rose Hall and Uitvlugt Estates.

At the time, the minister noted that just over 1,100 workers that were fired under the previous administration have been reemployed.

Minister Mustapha also revealed that some 660 hectares of land are expected to be cleared at Rose Hall.