Where is GuySuCo going?

Oct 27, 2022 Letters

Dear Editor,

GuySuCo is rapidly becoming an entity where incompetence and poor decision-making has become the norm rather than the exception. Ironically, incompetence is rewarded handsomely.

But I must commend the Government for appointing the new Board which was given the charge by the Agriculture Minister to oversee the affairs of the corporation. This is quite timely as well but there are several issues that must be addressed urgently and the Board must take the appropriate action, or else it will be ‘business’ as usual.

Some of these can be outlined as follows.

Foremost is the questionable procurement of unsuitable and costly machinery and equipment which have cost millions of dollars of scarce financial resources. For instance, the articulated tractors which have hardly performed while the Corporation is eagerly awaiting the report of its performance and benefits.

Then there are the horribly incompatible bell loaders which are now considered a total failure and again millions down the gutter. To add insult to injury these ‘alien’ machines have begun to breakdown and are the subject of an intensive investigation. This is putting the cart before the mule.

But this does not stop. Another fleet of ill-suited drain digging implements (Dondi) was purchased and because of their monstrous size, they are not compatible with the machines on the estates. Simply put the Corporation must act now. There is one staff at Head Office who is responsible for the technical specifications to purchase the appropriate machinery and equipment: why is he still on the job? Will GuySuCo now procure new machines to work these misfit Dondis. Where is GuySuCo heading?

Then there is a festering allegation where a Volvo SUV was supposed to be purchased for an Executive and an advance payment of $3 million was made. The deal was cancelled but was this money recovered?

Then there is the massive double application of Low Grade Rock Phosphate on the estates. This will again cost millions of dollars in excess of what should have been allocated. Was a proper scientific analysis and evaluation ever done to determine this application?

But the list goes on. There was a recent instruction concerning the procurement and allocation of agrochemicals. This is now being done by the Chief Executive Officer and not the procurement Department. Mr. Editor, this is definitely a recipe for disaster. How can a person with limited knowledge of sugar cane agronomy assume total control of one of the most important aspects of cultivating sugar cane. Previously, this was done by technical agriculture staff and the Procurement Department.

In addition, the Board needs to reexamine the persons placed on the succession plan. It is alleged that persons with knowledge and experience are willfully sidelined while those who are deemed pliable are propelled upward with an insane haste.

In conclusion, Mr. E. B. John in his letter captioned, ‘Organizational construct of GuySuCo’s new Board infers there is limited trust in its CEO’ and the question is: Why this mistrust in the CEO? The writer went at length to explain the organizational folly of the Estate Manager reporting to the Board directly. If the CEO cannot be trusted to make the right decisions for the Corporation and I am sure there are many reasons to support this unprecedented action, then why is he still on the job?

Yours sincerely,

Narendra Lall

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