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The white sugar refinery will help restore economic stability to Wales and nearby communities
Dear Editor,
Stakeholders including GAWU, GMSA, PSC, GO-INVEST, and the Guyana government welcomed GAICO Construction’s CEO Komal Singh announcing a joint venture with SUCRO Ltd to build a white sugar refinery at Wales, named Demerara Sugar Refinery Inc. (DSRI).
The sugar labour union, GAWU expresses optimism about the new project. The union has consistently supported the establishment of a sugar refinery, with a feasibility being conducted in the late 1990s. The sugar refinery idea was among the proposals presented by GAWU to the APNU+AFC government in 2016.
Furthermore, GAWU says; “government’s ongoing efforts to revitalise the Skeldon sugar estate suggest that sufficient sugar production could meet local refinery demands while enabling GuySuCo to diversify its remaining brown sugar output into value-added products such as packaging and sugar sticks. The sugar refinery represents an opportunity for the industry to advance within the value chain.”
Finance Minister Hon Dr Ashni Singh notes that the DSRI project affirms the PPPC’s “long-term commitment to the sugar industry.” He adds that this project aligns with the Caricom’s food security initiative of reducing the region’s food imports by 25% by 2030. However, some critics are skeptical and focused instead on GuySuCo’s current production issues, often lacking full knowledge of the deal and its broader impact.
The sugar refinery, costing approximately $(US) 20 million, is fully funded by Mr. Komal Singh’s GAICO Construction and US-based SUCRO Ltd. The central government provided no funding, only an enabling environment for this private venture.
.It was reported that the former PNCR-led government prepared a draft position paper on a “New Sustainable Business Model (NSBM),” which included the idea of a white sugar refinery. However, a senior GAWU official states that they are unaware of such a document. The NSBM is still a concept, but any proposal with significant potential for regional and national development should be considered by all stakeholders.
The joint venture (sugar refinery) once operational can process up to 100 metric tonnes of white sugar. Mr. Komal Singh says: “the priority is to procure excess brown sugar from Guyana and Jamaica. It is only if these suppliers cannot meet the needs of DSRI that we will turn to Brazil, with which SUCRO Ltd already has an existing business relationship.”
The demand for white sugar in Caricom is about 200,000MTs annually, says Dr Ashni Singh. DSRI aims to supply half of this need from 2027 to Caricom. In Guyana, white sugar is used mainly by beverage companies: DDL, Banks, Beharry, etc.). Guyana’s annual import of this product is about 15,000 MTs, at an annual cost of $(US) 13.5 million. Recognising the importance of these factors, Guyana sugar workers believe that resolving labour shortages, addressing factory issues, and restructuring management could boost production and productivity and thus enabling the industry to recover within the next three years.
The new company whose CEO is Jonathan Taylor, plans to hire 70 workers for the construction phase and 60 permanent staff for its sugar refinery operations, benefiting Wales and nearby areas. Since the 2016 closure of the Wales sugar estate, the area faced rapid economic decline. The PPPC government started the Wales Development Authority to halt the labour and economic hemorrhage and revitalise the region, adding projects like the GtE 300MW power plant, a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) processing plant, a large housing development, a potential fertiliser plant, and now the white sugar refinery.
These developments are poised to restore economic stability to Wales and nearby communities. We commend GAICO Construction and SUCRO Ltd for their pioneering project.
Sincerely,
Dr. Tara Singh
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