Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Lenox Shuman has thrown his support behind the PPP/C government and the recent decision to lease the Enmore facility which housed a sugar packaging plant to Guyson’s.
Shuman, who is a representative of the three-party joinder list in the National Assembly and the Deputy Speaker, issued a press release detailing several factors in support of the deal. Appearing at the top of Shuman’s list is his call for “reformation of our [Guyanese] own attitudes”. Shuman posited that Guyana is on a developmental trajectory, and therefore, “it is important that we understand the requirements for development” and Guyanese “should embrace a vision for [Guyana’s] development”. He said “We recently passed a Local Content Law in Parliament that requires much of us, and we need to occupy that space competently and professionally lest we sign a waiver and see money taken from our share of the revenues and given to others – and complain. It is important that we as a nation understand how underdeveloped Guyana stood for the last 56 years and what it will take to get us to that state of development.”
The press release sought to appeal to [the Guyanese] sense of nationalism by citing previous complaints “that Trini’s are taking all the jobs in the Oil and Gas sector”. Alluded to also was Guyana’s unpreparedness for involvement in the sector. Shuman noted that “I had voiced my concerns at the NRF [Natural Resource Fund] Bill now turned law and stated that the government’s hands need to be untethered to do what is necessary to develop Guyana”.
Shuman added “Historically, and maybe to some extent now, we continuously complained about poor infrastructure, institutional service (Government Services), and soon to come, traffic jams if not already,” the release stated.
“The Enmore Packaging Plant is being leased for a handsome penny that goes directly into supporting the sustainability of the sugar industry thus reducing the subsidy that is paid to the industry – a clear reduction of … tax dollars being used for sugar. The government promised 50 000 jobs. The packaging plant previously boasted 42 employees and GKB (the Guyana-US joint venture) will create 500 which is close to a 1200 % increase in employment and those are quality and diversified jobs.”
Shuman asserted that the Enmore Packaging Plant transfer deal is a “great example of Guyanese stepping up to the wicket to bat for Guyana to fill that space!” The release continued, “If we do not fill those spaces, someone else will and we will be left complaining.”
Explaining that Guy-son’s, a wholly Guyanese company, sought a partnership that will not only create the kind of employment and competency to address Guyana’s deficiencies in servicing the oil and gas sector, they are also creating a significant footprint for Guyanese in the sector that otherwise would have gone to some foreign company and quite possibly would have left the sugar workers unemployed; left the plant derelict for decades; and would have represented another failed monument to sugar.”
Shuman provided clarity on his perspectives regarding the sugar industry’s economic viability in Region 4.
“It should by now be clearly understood that sugar in Region 4 is not only unsustainable due to a variety of factors; it makes little to no sense for the cultivation of sugarcane in Region 4”, he said.
The release then stated the following: “There is no reasonable person that would expect that a cane field would be burning next to the major capital and economic epicenter of the country with all the issues that comes with it. We need to accept that Region 4 will not be the major agricultural powerhouse of this economy as we shift our focus and investments to the regions more capable of absorbing agricultural development.”
