Former president trying to confuse nation on sugar industry’s status- Minister Trotman

Georgetown, GINA, Thursday, November 17, 2016

The blame for the current state of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) rests solely with the previous administration, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman told the media today.

Responding to new claims by the Political Opposition about the faltering state of the sugar sector, Minister Trotman at today’s Post-Cabinet media briefing referred to a recent headline by the Kaieteur News newspaper which states: ‘Appalling state of Skeldon factory, failing industry…Jagdeo, Ramotar trying to confuse the nation with trickery’.

Former President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has sought to blame the current Government for not doing more to revive the sector.

“The mismanagement by the previous Government….I rest my case. I believe that headline quoting the Chairman of GuySuCo sums up where the blame lies. Like every bad worker, you blame your tools when you don’t get your way,” Trotman stated.

The Minister added that the methodology of employing persons who have no business of being in the sector, led to its destruction. “The decision to foist a factory that cost US$200M that never generated one kilowatt of power.  That had bad machinery, water that was drawn from a canal used to cool some equipment that only could have (used) distilled water; you can’t blame Booker Tate for that lawlessness,” Minister Trotman stated.

He added, “I think the Chairman is right. They are trying to kerfuffle the nation and the nation knows exactly who, to use the vernacular, who ‘bruk up’ (break up) GuySuCo. It wasn’t Booker Tate and it wasn’t the APNU/AFC Government.”

Asked about the reports of the Booker Tate Company being courted to resume the reins of the industry, Minister Trotman said there was no truth to this.  “No decision has been taken to engage Booker Tate or any company of that standing.”