Aiming to meet its requirement to have 450 cane transporting punts in time for the 2022 opening of the Rose Hall Sugar Estate, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) yesterday signed contracts with two companies for the supply and delivery of assorted materials. The contracts were signed to the tune of $284,157,050.
David Persaud Investments Ltd was awarded a contract for $255,657,050 in two lots while Gafsons Industries Ltd was awarded another contract also in two lots to the amount of $91,971,100. The signing took place in the presence of Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha; Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo, Sasenarine Singh; Permanent Secretary, Delma Nedd; and Director General Mandalall Ramraj.
Briefly addressing the contractors, Mustapha declared that the ministry and its agencies will not be accepting sub-standard work and urged the contractors to maintain a high standard. “Those of you who were awarded contracts for the supply of various materials for GuySuCo must understand that those activities are critical to the timely reopening of that estate.”
The minister stated that the contracts are in line with the Irfaan Ali-led government’s promise to the people to reopen shuttered sugar estate. On the 2020 General and Regional elections campaign trail, the PPP/C, currently in government, had made that promise.
“I’ve said many times that the government made a commitment to the people of this country that we will reopen some of the closed sugar estates so that we can create employment and contribute to the country’s GDP and the economy as a whole,” Mustapha stressed.
Under this year’s budget, GuySuCo is aiming to construct 250 new cane transporting punts while utilising all punt fabrication facilities within the corporation.
Subsequent to the closure in 2017, the ministry said 120 punts were transferred to the Albion Estate and a small amount were left with private cane farmers to use.
The remainder deteriorated after not being maintained for at least three years.
“They are not salvageable. Their bottoms and side walls have largely rotted away and cannot be repaired. It must be noted that prior to the closure of the estate, minimal work was being undertaken to maintain the equipment and facilities at the estate,” the ministry explained.
The Rose Hall estate is one of three estates that were closed under the APNU+AFC coalition one term government.
Since coming into government last year, the PPP/C led administration has pumped billions into the sugar industry aiming to revive it.
