Crime, coupled with concerns over the future of the sugar and rice industries are perhaps highest on the list of concerns of those residents of Berbice who put in an appearance at last weekend’s 11th Berbice Expo.
Tajpaul Adjodhea, President of the Central Corentyne Chamber of Com-merce, which hosted the Berbice Expo acknowledged the sharp reduction in the spending power of residents which reflects the reduced earnings from the country’s troubled sugar and rice industries. “The economy is sluggish,” Adjodhea told Stabroek Business.
This year’s Berbice Expo was probably 15% smaller than its immediate predecessor. Every year, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) presents a giant display that shows off the economic might of the sugar industry. This year, GuySuCo’s offering was reduced to