These two positions are opposites like night and day

Feb 12, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
GuySuCo went on a tirade accusing me of misleading and poisoning minds of readers in its response (KN, Feb. 2nd, 2017). I responded that GuySuCo doesn’t need my help to achieve these feats. The executive management team is doing so in fine style and I shall demonstrate once more to this nation.
Let’s go back to KN of Nov. 13th, 2016 news item titled “US$200M Skeldon factory falling to pieces – GuySuCo”. The impression created is that the factory will collapse at any moment. It was explained that, “The US$200M Skeldon Sugar Factory is falling to pieces and it isn’t worth the effort to it back together. This is according to officials of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo)”. GuySuCo’s Chairman also weighed in: “The reality before us is that the factory has lots of faults; it is badly designed and poorly constructed. The factory is deteriorating. New steel is needed; some of the furnaces don’t work, some of the boilers don’t work… The factory is just not properly built. The cost for the repairs needed is about US$60M ($12B). It is that big of a disaster.” He continued, “We are trying to find a way out but that is like trying to find a way out of a minefield.”
We now come to Feb. 5th, 2017 edition of Demerara Waves which carried a news item “Indian company wants to take over Skeldon Sugar Factory; Guyana yet to respond.” The article explained that Managing Director of Sunrise Holdings, Mr. Tony Joseph advised that Skeldon can become profitable in 18 months. He was quoted as saying “From our conversation, we believe that within 18 months or less that Skeldon could be profitable.” He went on to say “We believe that with proper management techniques, changes and some modernization of certain areas of the sugar plant, some harvesting changes that we can bring the price of sugar to world market competitiveness”.
Editor, here we have two clear positions. First being GuySuCo’s executives and Chairman, Dr. Clive Thomas asserting that Skeldon Sugar Factory is falling to pieces and not worth Govt.’s investment. Second being, an Indian firm with expertise in sugar brought in by Mr. Joseph assessed and concluded that the factory can be profitable in 18 months or less and meet the world market price of sugar. These positions are as clear as night and day. Who’s misleading here? Is it GuySuCo’s executives or Mr. Joseph? If Skeldon Sugar Factory can become profitable in just 18 months, why can’t GuySuCo do it with the IMC and the battery of experts it hired? I leave this for my fellow Guyanese to judge.
Sookram Persaud

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