Forget the losses, keep the sugar workers

Mar 14, 2018 Letters

Dear Editor
Please permit me the opportunity to respond to Intiaz Mohamed letter “Guyana can no longer be held ransom by Guysuco” (KN, 11th March 2018).
The problem with the sugar industry is that there was little reinvestment (if any) over decades to lower the cost of production of sugar and to increase sugar production in Guyana. The Skeldon Sugar Factory was supposed to lower production cost; it failed to do so.
For Guysuco to be profitable the amount produced must be increased and the cost of production must be reduced.
This will require investment into the sugar industry not “downsizing” the industry to allegedly “save” money. “Downsizing” Guysuco is the lazy option taken. Why should thousands (about 5,000 so far) of sugar workers suffer because of mismanagement of Guysuco over the decades?
Clearly, it would be better to keep the workers employed to earn foreign currency for Guyana and to prevent a socio-economic catastrophe. Yes, I agree that Guysuco needs to be profitable.
But America subsidizes its sugar industry; maybe they know something Guyanese do not know.
The PPP/C managed to subsidize Guysuco and grow Guyana’s economy; so too can the APNU+AFC Government (so, it is not a case of money but lack of political will).This APNU+AFC Government of President David Granger seems bent on focusing on putting profits before people. What would they do should the gold, rice, timber and/or oil industry turn unprofitable? “Downsize” these industries?
Yours Faithfully
Sean Ori

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