ALLIANCE For Change (AFC) executive member Khemraj Ramjattan has defended the decision of the former A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) + AFC to “right-size” the sugar industry, which left thousands of persons jobless.

Ramjattan, who was a senior member of the coalition administration, not only stood by the APNU+AFC’s decision, but also said money which was invested by the former government went into a “black hole.”

“We [APNU+AFC] spent over $42 billion during a five-year period, and it would appear that the government is going to spend even more than that in this sector, because, of course, we had decided that monies spent there is literally going down a black hole,” Ramjattan said during the AFC’s press conference, on Friday.

In 2017, the former APNU+AFC Coalition Government had announced the closure of several sugar estates across the country, leaving thousands of persons without jobs or sources of income. The move saw four sugar estates being closed and over 7,000 sugar workers losing their jobs.

International Labour Organisation (ILO) report on the fallout from estate closures between 2016 and 2017 under the previous administration. The report detailed increased levels of alcoholism, crime, and suicide; a 70 per cent drop in income levels; disrupted education for children; and heightened anxiety among workers.

Ramjattan claimed that the decision to shutter several estates followed a study that the coalition government had commissioned. However, the “Green Paper” on the future of the sugar industry in Guyana did not recommend the closure of any estates.

The AFC member, nevertheless, criticised the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)’s plans and efforts to revitalise and restructure the industry, noting that it has “gone down the drain.”

Earlier this week, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo met with sugar workers at the Albion Sports Complex and reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to the revitalisation and transformation of Guyana’s sugar industry – a sector that has long been a cornerstone of the country’s economy and rural livelihoods.

At that time, he outlined the PPP/C government’s vision for a modernised and sustainable sugar industry and also highlighted the significant strides made to bring the sector back from the brink of collapse.

During the 77th Commemoration of the Enmore Martyrs, President, Dr Irfaan Ali had announced that by leveraging the existing human capital and technology at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), the government is examining plans to strategically reimagine the mandate of the corporation to become a hub of rural development.

He posited that GuySuCo could support the production of other crops such as rice, corn and cassava, thereby diversifying production to boost income.

According to the president, the diversification strategy is not just about planting new crops; it is about creating new income streams through the creation of co-investments opportunities for workers, alternative uses of GuySuCo’s vast land assets, and expanded services to tap into the state agency’s existing technical expertise.

“Those are the things that are all captured in that ecosystem when we speak about modernisation,” the president said. “Modernisation is not only about plant and equipment; modernisation is also about new ideas.”

The government’s transformation plan also includes upskilling workers to operate in a modern industry. Workers will even be given opportunities to co-own parts of the mechanisation process, such as harvesting and transport; turning them into stakeholders.

Just this week, former Prime Minister and AFC member, Moses Nagamottoo was called out by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) for his attempt to rewrite the sordid record of the coalition government in sugar during their tenure.

“Though the former Prime Minister may feign ignorance, he knows well, in our minds, that thousands of temporary workers were denied work opportunities when his government decided to close estates.

Those workers never received compensation or assistance, but were left to fend for themselves. This was highlighted in the study and deliberately ignored by the former government official,” GAWU said in its statement.

The union added, “No amount of propaganda or airy-fairy writings can erase the legacy of destruction under a government in which Mr Nagamootoo was a senior leader. Today, the ashes of that destruction are still being righted, and the deep cuts inflicted are being healed.”