By Shabna Ullah
President Bharrat Jagdeo told residents in Region Six yesterday during his cabinet outreach that he is optimistic about the future of sugar in Guyana despite persons saying otherwise.
The president who met with residents in various areas in the region, including Crabwood Creek, Black Bush Polder and Port Mourant said government has had to make tough decisions for the industry to survive. He was referring to the US$110M investment in the Skeldon factory as well as the land preparation.
He also said that another contract was signed for $2.4B for a packaging plant at Enmore while a significant amount of land was bought from Guysuco because the company needs $10B to survive.
According to him the sugar industry has suffered the lowest production for a very long time along with the European Union 36% price cut for sugar which resulted in a loss of over US$40M every year.
He said too that if the industry wanted to make 350,000 tonnes of sugar to “make money” then government would have to make that investment and Guysuco would get $5.4B from the government.
At Port Mourant, he mentioned that a few weeks ago when a wages issue was raised, Member of Parliament, Khemraj Ramjattan and other persons asked the government to put more money into the sugar industry.
However, he said that Ramjattan and Leader of the main opposition, Robert Corbin walked out of parliament because they did not agree to the $4B that was transferred to the sugar industry. The $4B in question at Monday’s sitting of Parliament related to the Housing Ministry. It would appear that this sum is for the purchase of land from GuySuCo.
He also asked residents to check the front page photo of yesterday’s edition of Kaieteur News which showed them walking out of Parliament “although Kaieteur News is a rag and is hostile to the government but it exposes their [Ramjattan and Corbin’s] anti-government bias.”
Noting that there would be tough times ahead, he said Guyana would not close the industry as happened in Trinidad and Barbados.
He said the Booker Tate management team was sent away and the country has its own management which is expected to administer creditably to ensure that there is value for money.
He said the workers also have a role to play and although there may be a few bad years ahead he is trying to secure the industry.
The president told the residents that he plans to return soon to speak to the workers of all the estates about the reality of the industry.
Drugs
Residents raised the issue of the police shooting to death of a youth, Hemchand Gopaul at the Rose Hall cemetery following a robbery on the Corentyne and about searches for drugs conducted on homes.
Commander of ‘B’ Division, Stephen Merai said police at Eve Leary are currently handling the matter and that the file would be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice on how to proceed.
The president also warned the residents that the police would carry out raids on persons who sell drugs and destroy the communities.
Meanwhile, residents asked for the public assistance recipients to cash their vouchers at the bank instead of lining up at the post offices and the president said it was a valid point and promised to look at that option.
The head of the Road Users’ Association in Berbice complained about police harassment on the roadways and said several vehicles were impounded on Friday afternoon and released the following evening.
The man said he was told that the buses were held up for “tint” and said the vehicles should be allowed to have six inches of tint that is used as protection from the sun.
Jagdeo said he would look at the tint situation to see if the policy can be changed but “we are not compromising drinking and driving, speeding on the road.”
Further, he said that he knows that the police have a campaign to reduce road fatality. He noted that Berbice has the highest road deaths in the country and said drivers have to comply with the law.
He said drivers have been issued with speeding tickets but that does not seem to act as a deterrent and they continue to speed as soon as they pass the police. He said that speeding and “with animals on the road it is worse in Berbice.”
The residents also complained that the area was supposed to be enjoying treated water but said it was discoloured. One man even showed the president a bottle of water from the taps as evidence and the president responded that treated water does not mean that the iron content [which causes the discolouration] would be removed.
They also told the president that when they visit the Port Mourant Hospital there is a “big padlock at the gate” and when the guard opens the gate the lone nurse there would give them a “paper” to go to the New Amsterdam Hospital.
The president promised the residents that he would speak to the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy and Chief Executive Officer of the New Amsterdam Hospital, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo on that matter.