Guyanese happy with Government’s $5B support for GuySuCo

− Sugar workers say they have been heard

Former and present sugar workers are pleased with His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s announcement that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), will receive $5 billion from the $330 billion Emergency Budget to be announced in Parliament on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, workers told the Department of Public Information (DPI), that they finally felt like their pleadings were heard. 

Mangal Persaud, a former Wales Estate Sugar Worker said he was proud of the Government for taking such actions. “I feel proud about that, I come from the sugar estate and I vex bad Wales Estate closed, I from there, I used to work there,” he recounted.

Another sugar worker from the Uitvlugt Leonora Estate, Shellon Retemeyer shared similar sentiments. “That would be amazing because we need the investment because this estate could do better,” Retemeyer said.

Her colleague, Rocheelle Abrams, added that she too was happy with President Ali’s announcement.

Rudolph Lashley, who worked at the Uitvlugt Leonora Estate for many years felt that over the years the sugar industry was allowed to deteriorate, but was confident things would improve with the current government.  

“First when I join this estate here it was good no matter the money was small, but it got worst, now the government come in, it going to be better,” he stated.  

Manager of the Uitvlugt Leonora Estate, Yudhisthira Mana, told DPI that he too was overwhelmed about the $5 billion announcement.

“While that money would have to be divided among many areas and people, the most important thing for me is that we are heard,” Mr. Mana stated.

He said at the Uitvlugt Estate, capital investment was restricted over the last couple of years, especially the last four years.

“Infrastructure and capital investment were limited, if any at all, was just minimal… we would have seen bridges falling apart, punts or the barge that we use to transport the cane to the factory, they were all torn apart with minimal replacement” he recounted.     

The Uitvlugt Estate Manger said once the industry is given the required support it will flourish.

“With assurance that we will have financial assistance coming to us, I am sure the managers that we have across the industry will be managing better, and we can see an improvement in sugar. We believe in GuySuCo, we believe in sugar production and sure you will see the difference as we go on,” he declared.

At Vreed-en-Hoop, DPI spoke with resident and snow cone vendor, Leon Bacchus, who urged proper management of the industry in the future.

“It’s a good idea because a lot of people, thousands of people without a job, but what I feel about the sugar industry, they want a better management,” he urged.

In his announcement of the $5 billion for GuySuCo on Monday, the Head of State said the money will go into the agriculture aspect for field preparation and for investment in capital to operationalize estates. 

The President also announced that his government has begun the process of reopening three of the four sugar estates that were closed by the previous APNU+AFC coalition government. Those four estates were; Rose Hall, Wales, Skeldon and Enmore.