Source of Concern
The condition of the sugar industry continues to be a source of concern to many Guyanese. In its budget presentation to the country this year, the administration blamed bad weather, complicated industrial relations and managerial inefficiency and ineffectiveness for the continued poor performance of the sugar industry. The unflattering situation of the industry is the object of political interest given the plight of sugar workers and the role that the administration’s candidate might have played in the declining condition of the industry. It is not clear as to how much of the G$4.3 billion allocated in the 2011 budget has been spent already on attempts to rehabilitate the sugar industry, but problems down the supply chain reveal that the government-controlled corporation remains in trouble.
Increasing Delays
Ships that come to collect sugar are encountering increasing delays and the misalignment between the production and loading points is causing GUYSUCO to incur heavy costs at the expense of its workers and the Guyana economy as a whole. GUYSUCO is giving up as much as