—President Ali warns GuySuCo heads of impending shake up, cites sugar industry’s slow progress towards targets

PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali has, again, issued a stern warning to the leadership of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), signalling that a shake-up in the management structure may be imminent as the industry continues to fall short of its production targets.

Speaking at the opening of GuyExpo 2025 on Thursday evening, President Ali said that although the sector has shown signs of revival after years of economic decline under the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) administration, the pace of progress remains below the expectations of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government.

“We are seeing signs of recovery, [but] not at the pace at which we want that recovery,” he said, adding:

“Let me be very clear, if the managers in GuySuCo can’t deliver to us next year from the investment we are putting in, we will have to find a new management system to give us the type of results that we are investing to get.”

According to the Ministry of Finance’s mid-year report, the sugar-growing industry is estimated to have expanded by 136.7 per cent, compared with the first half of last year. GuySuCo produced 15,954 tonnes of sugar in the first crop of this year, up from 6,739 tonnes over the same period in 2024.

“There is no shortcut. I want to be clear, as your President, we must get the results we’re investing in. We must get the productivity we’re investing in,” Dr Ali emphasised.

GuySuCo reported that the first half of the year posed several challenges, including heavy rainfall that disrupted harvesting and factory operations, labour shortages, and reduced cane quality.

While acknowledging that “sugar is not yet out of the woods,” President Ali signalled that a major boost is on the horizon, with local and international investors set to partner on a new sugar refinery.

“I’m very pleased to learn of a partnership that will see local and international investors coming together and investing in a sugar refinery here in Guyana, and that project is a mark to be announced before the end of this year,” he said.

Earlier this year, the President outlined plans to leverage GuySuCo’s existing human capital, land assets, and technology to reimagine the corporation as a hub for rural development.

He noted that GuySuCo’s extensive arable lands and infrastructure could support cultivation of other crops such as rice, corn, and cassava, further diversifying the industry and increasing revenue streams.

Significant investments have already been channelled into mechanisation across several sugar estates, and efforts are underway to move beyond bulk exports into higher-value production.