The incumbent A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition has promised to optimise the sugar industry to ensure job retention if re-elected.
Speaking at the launch of the coalition’s manifesto on Friday, President David Granger argued that his administration has done more for the rationalisation of the sugar industry than the former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) governments.
“We had conducted a Com-mission of Inquiry into the sugar industry. We published a white paper. We had wide consultation. We sat face to face with the union and we had to make a very serious decision about restructuring the industry,” Granger shared.
According to him, the closure of the Wales, Rose Hall, Skeldon and Enmore sugar estates was necessary. He argued that the restructuring his government has implemented has created a strong East Demerara, West Berbice and West Demerara sugar industry and saved 10,000 jobs.
“We inherited a moribund industry and we are restructuring the industry to ensure those jobs of 10,000 will be protected,” he stressed, before adding that if returned to office his government will create an industry based on a 147,000-tonne production and will save the jobs of the majority of sugar workers, many of whom have already found jobs at the three remaining estates.
“The three mega estates are working,” Granger said, referring to the Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion estates.
According to the manifesto, an optimised sugar industry will be producing for the Caribbean market, for the beverage and other industries and for co-generating electricity for the national grid.
The closure of the four estates saw the loss of some 7,000 jobs with very little notice.
Granger has recently promised access to farming lands for laid off sugar workers while on the campaign trail. “Those [former sugar workers] who want to farm, will get to farm and those who want houses will get land for houses,” he promised last month at Leonora.
Meanwhile, the manifesto promises the establishment of a State Land Resettlement Com-mission to enable former sugar workers to access land for housing and agriculture.
This particular promise is part of the coalition’s proposed economic programme, which aims to unlock Guyana’s economic potential through the prudent use of enhanced resources.
According to the manifesto, Guyana is now poised to achieve rapid economic development and government has launched a Decade of Development, which will see the emergence of a modern and prosperous country through the efficient and effective combination of the people, their entrepreneurship, and the country’s natural endowments.
“We shall build a nation in which all citizens will enjoy a standard of living for which they have yearned and which we have started to deliver,” it says, while adding that the long-term policy is to ensure development, as enshrined in the Green State Development Strategy (2020–2040).
Part of that policy is to facilitate investment promotion and job creation.
APNU+AFC is also promising to designate agriculture development zones in every region, continue the development of rural agriculture that commenced under the Rural Agricultural Infrastructure Development (RAID) programme and continue as well as increase financial and technical support for small and microenterprise (SME) development.
Additional promises include the establishment of special economic zones to facilitate industry, commerce and entrepreneurship, a continuation of the construction of industrial areas and technology parks.
The manifesto says the coalition also intends to introduce incentives tied to the use of new technology and international standards in business; to encourage innovation and development; and, to promote the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, targeting 8,000 new jobs over the next five years.
