GuySuCo contracts out labour, other services at its three estates

Mar 24, 2018 News

A leaner GuySuCo is looking to reduce its costs by contracting out labour and other services at its three remaining estates.

In what will be seen as a major shift in the operation of the state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), there are moves to contract out key services.
GuySuCo yesterday was advertising for Expressions of Interest to plant canes at Albion and Blairmont, in Berbice, and Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara.
According to an advertisement in the state-owned Guyana Chronicle, GuySuCo is inviting interested persons with the requisite capabilities and resources to provide the contractual services for 2018.
The Letters of Interest must be addressed to the Estate Manager of the nearest estate- Albion, Blairmont or Uitvlugt or the Agriculture Director, Head Office, LBI Compound, the advertisement said.
Among other things, the contracts will be for the provision of labour and services to plant canes at three estates.
There will be contracts also for the provision of labour and services to harvest and deliver canes to those factories.
GuySuCo also wants contractors to submit interest to provide labour to clean and maintain the drainage and irrigation channels across the industry.
There will also be opportunities to also provide services to operate GuySuCo machines to re-clean drains and irrigation channels across the industry.
GuySuCo also wants workers to provide services to operate specialised equipment for land leveling and field development.
The deadline for submission of the letters of interest is March 31, 2018.
GuySuCo is opening the opportunities for redundant employees who are being encouraged to apply.
“The corporation reserves the right not to accept any Expression of Interest.”
In the past, the services were being provided by workers of GuySuCo.
The cash-strapped corporation is being restructured with new management and board of directors looking to reduce costs in almost all aspect.
From top heavy management to a bloated inventory to inefficiency at all levels, the corporation has been reduced from seven estates to three in the last 15 months.
Up for divestment and privatization are the four estates- Wales, Skeldon, Rose Hall and Enmore.
More than 4,000 workers were made redundant with offers made now for a number of them to be farmers.
That meant a little more than 11,000 remain at the three estates.
Government last year established the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) under the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), to oversee the divestment and privatisation process.
International firm, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, has been given the task to value the four closed estates with the intent to prepare prospectus for investors.
There have been over 70 expressions of interest submitted already.
NICIL/SPU has also been given the mandate to manage GuySuCo and turn it around with its three estates.
SPU’s head, Colvin Heath-London has been named Chairman to GuySuCo.
Government has confirmed that it is seeking financing for GuySuCo.
With regards to the closed sugar estates, SPU has started Enmore to harvest canes in the ground to produce molasses for the Demerara Distillers Limited which has been complaining that its rum production is under threat because of a shortfall from the estates closures.
DDL is collaborating with SPU for the Enmore operations.
Rose Hall canes are currently being harvested and processed at Albion.
The Coalition Government has in the past 30-plus months plugged more than $32B into GuySuCo but production only went down.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News