Opposition Leader’s GUYSUCO proposal is hypocrisy at its highest

I have taken note of the recent statements made by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Aubrey Norton, regarding the future of GUYSUCO under a potential APNU-led administration. Let me say, with absolute clarity and unwavering conviction, that his remarks are not only disingenuous, they represent a shameless attempt to rewrite history and insult the intelligence of the Guyanese people, especially the thousands of sugar workers who suffered under the very administration he now represents.

Let us not forget that it was the APNU/AFC Government, the very coalition Mr. Norton now leads, that callously shut down the Rose Hall, Skeldon, Wales, and Enmore sugar estates, placing over 7,500 sugar workers on the breadline, and triggered one of the most devastating social and economic crises in our country’s modern history. These reckless decisions, taken between 2015 and 2020, were made despite a comprehensive report from the Commission of Inquiry into GUYSUCO, commissioned by the APNU/AFC themselves, which strongly advised against the closure of the estates. That report warned of the long-term negative economic and social consequences that would follow, yet the coalition ignored it, and thousands of Guyanese families paid the price.

Worse still, having heartlessly placed sugar workers on the breadline, the APNU/AFC government refused to pay them their full severance, leaving vulnerable citizens to fend for themselves. It was the PPP/C government, while in Opposition, that stood shoulder to shoulder with the workers, waging relentless legal battles to ensure they received the justice they deserved. The affected workers were forced to turn to the courts to claim what was rightfully theirs. It was only after court rulings, sustained public pressure, and the return of the PPP/C to government that full severance was finally paid. This saga stands as a painful reminder of APNU/AFC’s cold indifference to the sugar workers. It also serves as a reminder of the PPP/C’s unwavering commitment to justice, fairness, and dignity for all Guyanese.

The devastating consequences of the estate closures were documented not only in local reports but also by international agencies. The United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) conducted a study following the closures, which found increased incidences of suicide, crime, and alcohol consumption, grim markers of the deep social trauma inflicted by APNU’s reckless policies.

And now, Mr. Norton stands before the nation with a straight face, speaking of transforming GUYSUCO, promising no estate closures and floating vague dreams of diversification and modernization. These are nothing more than theatrical fabrications — hollow promises built on the ruins APNU themselves created. They closed the estates and cynically labeled it “right-sizing.” Now, in a bid for political survival, they pretend to care about the very industry they tried to destroy.

The reality is this: it is under the PPP/C Government — and under the leadership of President Dr. Irfaan Ali — that GUYSUCO is being rebuilt. We have reopened the Rose Hall Estate. We have re-employed workers, invested in mechanization, recapitalization, and diversification, and we are executing a clear, sustainable plan to restore the sugar industry to profitability and relevance. These are not just planning on paper; they are real, ongoing initiatives delivering real results.

The people of Guyana, more so, sugar workers, are not naive. They remember who stood with them and who abandoned them. They remember who shut down the estates and who reopened them. They remember who fought for their severance and who withheld it. The sugar industry does not need empty rhetoric. It needs leadership, and that leadership is already in place and hard at work under the guidance and leadership of President Dr. Irfaan Ali and the PPP/C Government.

Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha,
Minister of Agriculture