GOVERNMENT on Friday said it is continuing its consideration of the Board of Directors for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).
Minister of State Joseph Harmon in response to questions posed at a post-Cabinet press briefing held at the Ministry of the Presidency, said, “Cabinet has requested to have a further consideration of the board of GuySuCo.

“Cabinet made some comments with respect to the board that was identified and I am sure that within the short space of time that all of the issues as they relate to the board will be clarified and that there will be a full board of GuySuCo appointed, gazetted and working,” the Minister of State told reporters.

The minister’s comments follow media reports that Finance Minister Winston Jordan had put forward a proposal to Cabinet for head of the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) Colvin Heath-London, to become the new chairman of GuySuCo.
Reports indicated that Jordan’s proposal encountered much opposition by his Cabinet colleagues and resulted in no decision being made on the matter.
Many have opined that installation of the SPU head as the chairman of GuySuCo’s board would prove a “serious conflict of interest”.

However, the finance minister in a subsequent statement refuted statements that he had proposed Heath-London to be chair of the sugar company’s board.
Jordan said he was abroad at the time of the referenced Cabinet meeting, participating in an important pre-governors meeting of the IDB in Jamaica.

“Therefore, Minister Jordan was not present at Cabinet on Tuesday and consequently, did not ‘propose, argue, make a presentation or reasoned with Cabinet as reported,” the Ministry of Finance said.

The life of the old board, chaired by Professor Clive Thomas, ended on February 14, 2018.
Meanwhile, in a statement dated February 25, 2018, the SPU said the life of the board of GuySuCo came to an end on February 14 after the Board of Directors of the National Industrial & Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) at a special board meeting, decided to install a new board focused on the transformation of the corporation as envisioned by NICIL-SPU.

“The NICIL board also instructed GuySuCo to freeze all hiring and to not renew any employee contracts that are expiring at this time. NICIL has begun working with the management team at the corporation to implement management changes; some of these changes are already being implemented and more are expected to follow in the coming weeks,” the SPU statement said.