-President Ali

PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali has said that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government is sparing no investment in building a resilient and profitable sugar industry in Guyana.

The Head of State made this remark during a Labour Day brunch which he hosted at State House as he spoke about the significant strides the government has made to position workers better in the country.

He noted specifically that for sugar workers, the worst days are going to be behind them soon and the best days for sugar are ahead.

He said: “Make no doubt about this, our commitment is to build a sugar industry that is competitive, sustainable, resilient and profitable and we are sparing no investment in this effort.”

Since entering office in 2020, the government has sought to overhaul and modernise the country’s sugar industry.

Just last month, President Ali told reporters that a new management team is set to take the helm at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) as the push towards modernisation continues.

At that time, he outlined several changes at the corporation as part of the government’s commitment to providing the necessary investments to revive the sector and return it to a key contributor to the country’s economy.

Earlier this year, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh said that since September 2020, over 4,600 workers have been rehired, bringing the total employment to over 8,100 across the industry.

At that time, Dr Singh stated that in 2024 the industry is projected to accelerate its recovery with strong growth of 66.1 per cent aided by GuySuCo’s continued focus on mechanisation and conversion efforts along with the promoting of value-added production.