Dear Editor,
The Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. (GuySuCo) wishes to respond to a letter published in the Stabroek News dated 14 October, 2016, written by Mr. Abel Seetaram and headlined `Given the state of GuySuCo, benefits to estate managers must be trimmed’. GuySuCo being such a significant player in Guyana’s economic and social construct; makes the Corporation a topic for constant debate and discussions, which is totally understandable. However, as one evaluates and examines many of the published articles on GuySuCo, it gives the impression at times, that consideration is not given by the authors, that the employees of GuySuCo are equally concerned about the Corporation, and they come to work every day in the face of growing uncertainty and contribute towards finding solutions for the Corporation.
GuySuCo would be the first to admit that a lot went wrong in the Corporation and it was not managed with the business acumen that was required nor was the environment conducive for serious application of business acumen. Therefore Mr. Seetaram is not unreasonable in laying blame for the state of the Corporation on the previous administration.
Mr. Seetaram was also correct about the hostile industrial relations climate which has contributed to the problem of the Corporation and industry. The industrial relations climate over the years and currently is not enabling the Corporation to grow as a business. The basis upon which some of the Unions exist does not create an environment for the Corporation to successfully navigate a way out of the challenging course in which it has found itself. For example, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) is losing its relevance as a stakeholder, due to its seeming inability to change its ideology and practices to be considered a 21st Century industrial relations body and more specifically, in the case of GuySuCo; to become a stakeholder that is creative, innovative and solution-oriented; instead the Union prefers to remain as part of the problem rather than to evolve as part of the solution.
The Government of Guyana having recognised that there was urgent need to strengthen the governance and management of the Corporation, took immediate action in 2015, to appoint a new Board of Directors and an Interim Management Committee (IMC) both of which consist of highly qualified and experienced individuals. .Since the installation of these two bodies, a number of strategic plans and programmes were developed on remedial measures to be undertaken and the new direction in which the Corporation should proceed.
As it relates to the implementation of these strategic plans, programmes and measures, the Board of Directors and Executive Management have been implementing them in a detailed, systematic and professional manner. In many instances the Corporation tries to capture and relate the processes for which these plans and programmes are implemented but practically, it is impossible to provide the public with a ball –by- ball commentary of all of the remedial actions which are being implemented. Hence, a realistic expectation from the Governance body and Interim Management Committee, is for them to be given the time and space to implement measures for the turn -around of the Corporation.
Nevertheless, a key approach of this new management is to create the environment for growth and learning, where employees feel respected and are treated as professionals and the Corporation expects no less from them. For example, since the new IMC was appointed, a number of sound management approaches were implemented and practices are being observed. These approaches have paved the way for better monitoring and evaluation of performance and practices and to ensure that necessary reviews and revisions are done where and when necessary. Examples of this are the monthly Management Committee meetings which recommenced in 2015 and the daily interaction between corporate and the Estate Management.
Additionally, training programmes are being implemented to improve the capacity and capability of staff members in various departments. Several consultations are being carried out to examine current systems with an aim of closing loopholes, bridging gaps and removing hindrances which prevent the Corporation from performing with greater efficiency. For example, on Saturday 8 October, 2016, a workshop was held with all Health and Safety Officers and other management staff from across the Corporation, to review and make recommendations to revise the Health, Safety and Environment Policy for the Corporation.
On the point Mr. Seetaram made suggesting that benefits to Estate Managers should be trimmed, GuySuCo wishes to state that the Estate Managers are the real heroes in the Corporation. Due to the rigorous nature of sugar production, Estate Managers are required to be available twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. The number of employees on Estates range from 3,000 plus as in the case of Albion, to over 1,000 in the case of Wales. It therefore means that Estate Managers are in charge of a large workforce on all of the estates. Further, GuySuCo is a target-driven Corporation; the detail and precision required from the cultivations all the way to the production of the sugar crystals, demands proper supervision, and management.
Further, there is a science that must be applied in any the restructuring programme for production based businesses such as GuySuCo. This entails the design of a strategy to enable the Corporation to become profitable, resilient and sustainable while at the same time increase the efficiencies in its current core business which is sugar. Going hand –in- hand with this is the introduction of new ventures of non-sugar nature to strengthen the viability of the business.
The Board of Directors and Management wishes to assure members of the public, that the Corporation has recruited some of the best minds in organizational development and in the sugar business and has no doubt that with the support from stakeholders for the corporate strategy which lays out the direction for the New GuySuCo, and if given reasonable time and space to implement this recovery programme, positive growth will be seen over time.
Yours faithfully,
Audreyanna Thomas
Senior Communications Officer
Communications Unit
Ogle Estate
