Overseas-based Guyanese Dr Rajendra Singh is the new Chairman of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Board of Directors and he travels here on a monthly basis at the expense of the cash-strapped corporation to perform his duties, Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy disclosed yesterday.
Singh, who lives in New Jersey in the United States, replaces Dr Nanda Gopaul, who resigned from the post since his appointment as Labour Minister.
Singh, who served as GuySuCo’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, travels here on a monthly basis to carry out his duties as Chairman, Ramsammy told the National Assembly yesterday, in response to questions posed by APNU MP Dr Rupert Roopnaraine.
Roopnaraine asked about the identity of the new Chairman, whether he was resident in Guyana and what arrangements have been made for him to discharge his duties if he is not resident here. Ramsammy said that Singh is in daily contact with the Agriculture Ministry and with other board members and management of GuySuCo. He also informed that Singh travels on an economy class ticket each month or whenever he visits these shores to carry out his duties and that travel and other costs, including lodging, are paid through GuySuCo.
APNU MP Volda Lawrence questioned whether a list of persons who would have been eligible to fit the post was exhausted and in response Ramsammy admitted that there are many competent persons who can serve on the board of GuySuCo and also as chairman. However, he noted that Singh has been a member of the board for several years.
There was a $4 billion allocation for cash-strapped GuySuCo in this year’s budget to meet operational expenses, and Ramsammy, during the consideration of the estimates of expenditure, had said that the corporation has forecast a deficit this year. He said that a national action committee, set up through the Finance Ministry and overseen by Cabinet, would be monitoring the industry and its operations, which has been plagued by low output, factory problems and continued industrial action.
