Former Skeldon Estate Manager, Vishnu Panday, and Manager of Special Projects, Dwarka
Bahadur, have returned to the executive management of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) as part of government’s reshuffling plan for better production.
Panday, who was once the point person for government’s resuscitation plan for the Skeldon sugar estate now functions as the new Agriculture Director while Bahadur has replaced Operations Director, Vijay Gobardhan.
Though the reshuffling was first mentioned in the National Assembly last week by Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, during budget estimates, the Sunday Stabroek was told that the changes took effect since October 2022.
A source told the Sunday Stabroek that Panday and Dwarka are viewed as having the necessary skills to aid government in achieving its objectives of having a modern sugar industry.
When he resigned in 2021, Panday had said he was unable to work with GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sasenarine Singh. Panday and a small team were handpicked in September last year as point person/general manager by President Irfaan Ali to create an action plan for the shuttered Skeldon Estate. Reopening the estate was a key election promise of the PPP/C.
In addition to the shakeup in the executive management, the estate managers have also been reshuffled.
Former Albion Estate Manager, Trebhowan Shivpersaud, has been transferred to Blairmont Estate as Manager, while Hutton Griffith of Blairmont Estate has been sent to Uitvlugt Estate, and Yudhisthira Mana, who previously manned Uitvlugt, has been relocated to Albion Estate, where he functioned some years ago.
Meanwhile, former Rose Hall Estate Manager, Aaron Dukhia, who has been subjected to “appropriate disciplinary action” over excess payment for works at the Rose Hall Estate, has been let go from the corporation. Rose Hall is now being managed by Gobardhan while Rama Persaud has the responsibility of Manager for the Skeldon and Enmore Estates.
On Tuesday, before the Committee of Supply, Mustapha explained that the changes to the management structure were made to accelerate the administration’s vision of making the sugar corporation viable again. At the time of his confirmation of the changes, he was responding to questions from Opposition Member of Parliament, Vinceroy Jordan, on whether there is consideration for changes.
“The management of GuySuCo, yes, we have made changes. We have made changes recently and we will continue. We have moved managers, we have replaced managers, and we will continue to do that. That’s a work in progress and we will continue to bring new managers into the system with new ideas,” Mustapha was quoted as saying.
Additionally, all Agriculture Managers at the estates have also been reshuffled.
Board of Directors
In October last year, a new Board of Directors was installed with former executive member Anthony Vieira and former Chairman Pravinchandra Dave, no longer members.
A new board now functions under the leadership of Madanlall Ramraj, who is also the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture. Other members of the board include Director Ramnarayan Rupan, a veteran in the field of human resources; Director of Procurement, Desmond Sears; Chairman of the Finance and Marketing Committee, Paul Cheong; Jairam Petam, Mohamed Raffik, Roy Hanoman Singh, Shaleeza Shaw, Tarachand Balgobin, Shameera Evans, Aslim Singh, and Panday.
Back in August, Vieira and CEO Singh had clashed over the procurement of articulated tractors for the industry. This trigged Vieira’s resignation from the board.
At a meeting prior to Vieira’s resignation, both he and Singh were engaged in a heated dispute over the management of the corporation and the decision to purchase the articulated tractors. A recording of the argument was leaked on social media, with both men trading insults.
Vieira, in his letter to the editor announcing his resignation, criticised Singh and his recommendation that the corporation purchase 22 articulated tractors instead of fixed frame tractors.
During the brief meeting at the installation of the board, Mustapha told the new board members that the revitalisation and modernisation of Guyana’s sugar industry remain of utmost importance to the Government and the people of Guyana.
Decision of the Board
The reshuffling, the source explained, is important to the turnaround of the industry. It is expected to aid in strengthening the management both the administration and field operations in an effort to arrest the decline in the industry.
“These issues have been lying all the time. They faced the floods in 2021 and crop was bad. First crop 2022 was projected to be bad but second crop should not have been bad,” the source familiar with the industry opined.
It was disclosed that the Albion sugar estate fields were the worst performing for the second crop, failing to cultivate the quality of canes needed for production. The source said the former estate manager misled the board on a number of initiatives and scenarios at the estate. It is believed this contributed to the industry not being able to meet its target.
To prevent this from recurring, the new board has made the decision that the corporation engage private cane farmers to accelerate the rehabilitation of fields.
Contracts have already been awarded to private contractors for the cultivation of 4,000 hectares of lands in addition to GuySuCo’s 3,000 hectares. The cultivation of these lands is projected to push production to 100,000 metric tonnes of sugar in 2024. Grinding estates are expected to produce 60,000 metric tonnes of sugar for this year. The Rose Hall Estate is scheduled to reopen for the second crop of this year.
The corporation managed to produce 49,050 tonnes of sugar by the end of 2022. The initial annual production estimate for 2022 was set at 64,889 tonnes. The target figure was arrived at after a thorough examination of the canes in the fields.
