While the Sugar industry continues to deteriorate

Sep 02, 2014 News

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 …PPP says APNU plays blame game

By Abena Rockcliffe
While the Sugar Industry remains in serious trouble, the two most senior political parties in Guyana are blaming each other, the sugar workers are not sure about their future and taxpayer’s money continues to go towards paying off debts incurred by the Guyana Sugar Industry (GuySuCo).
Yesterday, at its weekly press conference held at Freedom House, the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) sought to “reaffirm (its) commitment to Sugar Workers”.
At that forum, General Secretary, Clement Rohee said that the “PNC/APNU continue its vulgar attacks on the sugar industry and sugar workers, thus, putting the country’s economy at risk and the livelihood of sugar workers at stake.” He said that in the face of such attacks, the PPP reaffirms its commitment and full support to the industry and its workforce. Subsequently, a press statement was released by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) to the effect that the PPP must stop playing politics with sugar and start acting responsibly.
APNU stated, “The policy of the PPP/C Administration and the politically controlled management of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) of simply throwing taxpayer dollars at the industry’s problems must end.”
It added that the scare tactics being used by the PPP to agitate sugar workers needs to be challenged. “We can do better, and the workers must be educated that modernization and diversification is not a death sentence or guaranteed unemployment.”
Rohee, on the other hand, told the media yesterday that at the announcement of the new Board of Directors, APNU’s shadow Minister of Finance, Carl Greenidge lambasted the composition of the Board, attacked the credentials of its members and made it clear that the government should harbor no illusions about the likelihood of parliamentary support for the future request for funds for GuySuCo.
According to Rohee, “by his own statement, Greenidge has usurped the authority of the entire Parliament by sending a clear signal that he will obstruct support for the sugar industry and sugar workers.”
The PPP General Secretary said that his party is not surprised by Greenidge’s statement, because he opposed the appropriation of funds for the industry in the National Assembly.
“In fact he (Greenidge) is determined to take bread out of the mouth of sugar workers who have made so much sacrifice for this country,” said Rohee.
Rohee pointed out that Greenidge “went as far as to advance a position similar to that of former PNC/APNU parliamentarian Tony Vieira to the effect that the sugar industry must abandon its sugar fields in favour of tilapia farming, even though such a venture was previously tried and failed under the PNC dictatorship.”
With that argument, Rohee said, the APNU is bent on destroying the lives of sugar workers.
He said that the political ambitions of the PNC/APNU are driving its decisions to do all it can to impede the “recent progress in the industry… Success will hamper their political aspirations.”
The politician said that Greenidge’s vindictiveness will not only destroy the lives of sugar workers, it will also damage the economic activities of the entire country and specifically the “thriving businesses around the sugar estates and the businesses that depend on the sugar industry to sustain their operations and their workers. Greenidge must stop the reckless behavior so commonplace in his party and do what is best for all of Guyana and not just the very narrow interest of the PNC/APNU.”
In its statement, APNU noted that it has made repeated calls for GuySuCo to produce a credible ‘turnaround plan’.
The Party stated that the industry has received over $500B in subsidies over a period of ten years and President Donald Ramotar has admitted that the industry cannot meet its cost, or pay its bills without Government support.
APNU said that the failure of successive politically dominated GuySuCo Boards cannot be overlooked and “the PPP/C cannot expect to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result.”
APNU registered that GuySuco needs a Board whose members have been carefully selected and who have the personal integrity to be able to avoid financial conflicts of interest. “GuySuCo needs Board members who understand large scale labour management and a working knowledge of the sugar industry. GuySuCo needs a Board that is chaired by someone who can set long and short term goals to improve the viability of the sugar industry.”
APNU said that it is time that the people of Guyana forge a new relationship with sugar, taking an example from our Brazilian neighbours. Most of the industrial processing of sugarcane in Brazil is done through a very integrated production chain, allowing sugar production, and industrial ethanol processing and electricity generation from by-products.
The party admitted that the history of sugar is in large part the history of Guyana and “Our African and Indian ancestors built the industry as slaves, indentured labourers and free-men. Today the industry provides employment for all Guyanese regardless of ethnicity or political affiliation. For this sector to survive, the PPP/C must stop playing politics with sugar and start acting as responsible national leaders.”

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