“Guyanese people will never forgive you” – Narine tells APNU/AFC on collapse of sugar industry

…as Budget 2026 injects $13.4B into industry

Seepaul Narine, head of the Guyana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), has blamed the former APNU/AFC Administration for what he described as the collapse of Guyana’s sugar industry, arguing that the effects of those decisions continue to be felt most acutely in Region Six (East Berbice–Corentyne).
Speaking during his contribution to the Budget 2026 debate on Monday, Narine, who is a Government Member of Parliament (MP), said the present challenges facing the sugar sector are the result of years of neglect, estate closures, and mass layoffs under the previous Government, particularly affecting sugar-dependent communities such as Skeldon and Rose Hall.
Turning his attention directly to the industry, Narine told the National Assembly, “The sugar industry is close to my heart… so it is close to many other people, thousands of people,” he told the House.
Responding to the Opposition’s criticism about production costs, Narine argued that the state of the industry today cannot be separated from decisions taken while APNU+AFC held office.
“Your Government under APNU/AFC, is responsible for the state of the sugar industry at this time. It is the long-term effect of the damage that you created. You built that, put a cent in the industry, and you run it down, and you grind it to the ground.”
Narine, a former trade unionist who spent his working life in the sugar industry, said workers in Region Six bore the brunt of those policies, particularly following the closure of estates and the mass retrenchment of employees.
“I have seen firsthand the dismissal of 7,500. I was at the time the General Secretary of the Union, and I was required to be there to speak to the workers about their benefits.”
He said thousands of workers were dismissed without severance, forcing legal action against the former Administration.
“When you dismissed those workers, I had to take you to court to pay them their severance. I took you to court and won it. I got six per cent interest and four per cent interest on the outstanding money that you had for them.”
Describing the social impact on sugar belt communities, Narine said families were left struggling to survive.
“What you did was devastating. You sent home 7500 people without knowing where they would get another meal from.”
Referring specifically to conditions at the Skeldon Estate in Region Six, Narine accused the former Government of exploiting already distressed workers.
“You charge the people at Skeldon $500 per day to go and catch fish in the canals to help them supplement their meals.”
Beyond job losses, Narine also raised concerns about the disappearance of state-owned assets at major sugar estates, including those in Berbice.
“You must talk about all the punts and the machinery that disappear under your watch. Where did it go?”
He went on to list what he said were significant losses.
“You must talk about the excavators that disappear. You must talk about the 500 cane punts at Skeldon that disappear. And you must talk about the machinery at Rose Hall that disappeared also.”
Narine told the House that such actions continue to resonate strongly among sugar workers and their families.
“It is something that the Guyanese people will never forgive you for.”
Turning to Budget 2026, Narine said the sugar industry is now entering a new phase, pointing to a $13.4 billion investment aimed at reviving production and restoring employment, particularly in traditional sugar regions like East Berbice-Corentyne.
“There is new hope now. There is an injection of $13.4 billion to the industry this year, and that is very much welcome.”
He welcomed the resumption of operations at Rose Hall Estate, which he said is once again producing sugar and creating jobs in the region.
“There is new employment at Rose Hall Estate. It is operating. It is making sugar, and that is very good.”
Narine described the allocation as a critical step toward rebuilding an industry that remains central to Region Six’s economy.
“The investment of this year’s budget is indeed valuable. It’s a valuable investment for the people in this country.”
He later characterised Budget 2026 as a broader commitment to workers and communities across Guyana.
“Budget 2026 is more than a financial plan. It is a social contract,” Narine said.