‘Green paper’ on sugar’s future based on consultations with unions, workers’ representatives – Min Harmon

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─ “Consultation has always been the bedrock of what we do as a government”

DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, September 4, 2018

“The Coalition Government’s acknowledgement of the sugar ’s invaluable contribution to Guyana as a nation has prompted the formulation of the sugar industry’s Green Paper.”

This pronouncement was underscored by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, today, as he outlined the government’s sugar industry strategy at a Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) one-day conference titled ‘Sugar too big to fail’.

Minister Harmon explained that the Green Paper indicated the steps to be taken, to guide the revamping of the sector. He said after aggressive Cabinet interrogation, the recommendations, which resulted from the Commission of Inquiry into the sugar sector, formed the basis of the Green Paper.

According to Minister Harmon, the plan was “laid on the table with the representatives of the estates.” The minister reminded that the GAWU and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees Union (NAACIE) shared similar positions but the political opposition called for a study to be done.

It was explained that the main issues were then extracted by the government, a “State Paper” prepared and laid in the National Assembly. The “State Paper” or “Green Paper” examined the future of sugar, workers issues and contributions over the years, the minister added. He posited that if Guyana was to be developed, issues needed to be put on the table and discussed properly and not via letters to the press. “We cannot wait on a conference or whatever conference it is to…to put our issues there!”

The Minister of State reiterated, “consultation has always been the bedrock of what we do as a government”. He recalled that Special Purposes Unit (SPU) was established to determine, in a transparent manner, what was to be done with divestment, sugar lands, workers, asset valuation and the way forward.

At the end of 2016, four estates were closed to reduce the billions that consecutive governments poured into the industry. To date, redundant workers have been paid at least 50 percent of severance pay due to them while it is expected that the remaining payouts can be achieved by year-end.

By: Paul Mc Adam.

Image: Jameel Mohamed.