Opposition party AFC yesterday called for the sacking of GuySuCo’s Board of Directors, which it accused of just tinkering with the industry while declining production levels and losses resulted over the years.
“I think GuySuCo has a viable future… if that sugar sector was to go down… I think our country would go down… this is an industry that we must put emphasis on but we have to professionalise the decision-making… we need a brand new plan and we need that entire board to go… that board needs to go,” AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan told a news conference yesterday.
He stated that the AFC had been analysing the sector for years and believes that advice given and procrastination to implement policies by government has been causing the financial troubles that the sector is continually facing.
To this end, the AFC called for a Commission of Inquiry into GuySuCo’s operations. A call for an inquiry has also been made by APNU MP Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, who says there needs to be a full investigation of the company’s finances.
GuySuCo has come in for much criticism for its continued downward spiral over the years and it was recently disclosed that its first crop this year yielded less than 48,000 tonnes, which is a record low. It was envisaged that some 240,000 tonnes would be produced this year but the paltry first crop has cast doubts on this possibility.
On this, President Donald Ramotar had said “obviously it is a bit disappointing” that GuySuCo would fail to meet its first crop target. “I think some of the problems are objective problems in the sense that GuySuCo, in order to survive in this environment now, has to restructure and reorganize itself and it is very clear that we cannot depend on GuySuCo [being] a very labour intensive organisation any longer,” he said.
Records of the last three years illustrate target failures. After multiple revisions, 2012’s first crop target was slated at 101,813 tonnes, but the actual production was 70,027 tonnes. In 2011, GuySuCo extended the first crop season to June. The result of the 23-week long season was a harvest of 104,924 tonnes against a 138,793-tonne target. 2011’s performance was an improvement on 2010’s, which saw GuySuCo revise the 130,000 tonnes first crop target to 91,675 tonnes. However, the state-owned sugar company was only able to harvest 81,864 tonnes.
The AFC believes that one way of reviving the ailing industry should be getting help from foreign experts. “The AFC calls on the Ramotar administration to launch a full Commission of Enquiry into the operations of GuySuCo and to immediately appoint a new Board with suitable talent in areas of expertise useful to the sugar industry so that we all can change the current practices and rebuild the industry”, said Ramjattan.
The AFC also called on government to approach the Brazilian or Indian government for technical assistance in designing a practical plan with a focus on rehabilitation, rationalisation and modernisation of the sugar industry to ensure long-term profitability.
Ramjattan informed that should any professionally-designed plan be laid in Parliament, that will help secure the long-term efficiency and sustainability of the sugar industry, his party will fully support it as long as their core values of transparency, accountability and inclusivity are followed.
