How the government chose private profit over public good

Dec 21, 2025 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

(Kaieteur News) – For many years, the sugar industry in Guyana has been in trouble. The company that runs it, GUYSUCO, loses a lot of money. Every year, the government uses billions of dollars from the people to keep it running. This is tax money that could build schools, fix roads, or help hospitals.

A plan was made years ago to fix the problems of sugar. It was a turnaround plan. The idea was simple. GUYSUCO needed to stop losing money. It needed to break even. To do this, the plan focused on two main things.

First, it aimed to lower the cost of producing our traditional sugar. Second, and very importantly, it aimed to create new ways for GUYSUCO to earn money. These are called revenue streams.

The plan was not a secret. It centered on smart, modern projects. One major idea was co-generation of electricity. The waste from sugar cane, called bagasse, could be burned to produce power. GUYSUCO could then sell this electricity to the national grid. This would bring in steady cash.

Another idea was to move beyond raw sugar. The plan was for GUYSUCO to produce value-added sugars. This means packaged sugars for supermarkets. Think of the white sugar you buy in a sealed bag at the store. That bag sells for more than the raw bulk sugar GUYSUCO usually exports. There were also plans to produce molasses. And possibly even to start a rum distillery. Rum is a high-value product.

The goal was clear. Use these new projects to create new income. Combine that income with lower production costs. This mix would allow GUYSUCO to stand on its own feet. It would help the thousands of workers who depend on it. It was a practical plan for a public company.

Given this plan, a recent government decision is shocking. It is, I daresay, disgraceful.

We have learned that the government has given permission to a private company. This company will be allowed to produce white, packaged sugar right here in Guyana. This is exactly the kind of value-added product the turnaround plan mentioned for GUYSUCO.

Just why was GUYSUCO not allowed this benefit? It is unexplainable. It is inexplicable.

Think about the situation. GUYSUCO is owned by the state. It is bankrolled by the people’s money. It racks up losses year after year. The government says it wants to help the industry. Yet here was a golden opportunity. White sugar production is a money-spinning opportunity. It is more profitable than raw sugar.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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