Major companies interested in closed sugar estates – Hughes

By Michael Younge

Several major local, regional and international companies have already submitted proposals or are in the process of doing so to the Government’s Special Purpose Unit (SPU) which was set up to manage the affairs of the three closed sugar estates and its assets.
The entity is also tasked with looking at practical investments and divestment proposals from stakeholders who would like to embark on ventures following the closure of several of the country’s sugar estates.
Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes confirmed that already the response has been encouraging as she implored scores of dismissed workers to

look to their futures and move past the past.
“We have a range of tremendous opportunities today… Let us stop the screaming and shouting and let us try to make the best with what is happening today,” Hughes said, as she referred to the behavioural patterns of some workers who only seem to see gloom and doom following their dismissals from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).
“We have learnt the hard way that we can’t continue to put our money into something that is no longer profitable… not because of us but because the world is changing… we have to move with the times,” she stressed.
She promised workers that “Guyana will always have some element of sugar but we have to reorganise. We will always need sugar for our local consumption… we will also need sugar for DDL… We are not going to throw that away… now is not the time to focus on all that happened in the past but how we were moving forward”.
The Public Telecommunications Minister said it was time for the sugar industry to be modernised with a view of enhancing its productivity and competitiveness so downsizing the industry is just one step in a long overhaul process to arrive at the desired changes at GuySuCo.
“The last six months instead of thinking about what we were going to do as we are going to be laid, we as sugar workers, were shouting ‘we got to get out severance… We have a range of individuals and international companies that are interested in Guyana and our sugar industry… you would have read that DDL said that they are interested… workers would be needed for that…”, she stressed.
Explaining the mandate of the SPU, Hughes reiterated her point that here are several international companies that have already indicated to SPU that they are interested in Guyana.
She said Government created that Unit because that is the entity that any company in any part of the world that are interested can come with their proposals.
“There are big companies like Pepsi Cola and other companies that are already saying to SPU that we are working on our numbers and our plans… we coming and the SPU is taking their time to ensure that we have the best deal for Guyana… we don’t want no hurry work and then we realise that we can get a better deal.”
“My friends at Nand Persaud have also said they have their own ideas about how they can invest,” the Minister disclosed. Workers, who have the skills will get the jobs, she related before saying, “I am trying to show that you have value and your skills are a commodity.”
She disclosed that companies in India and Trinidad and Tobago have already approached the SPU about investment in Guyana and the now closed estates in order to roll out new projects.
“I can’t come and give you the names of who the people are… I’ve got to wait for them to sow-up the deal because I don’t want to jeopardise their investments,” she said calmly.
“I promise that this a process that we will be with you… All your knowledge is going to be available to all of those companies that are coming in the new sugar industry we are creating,” Minister Hughes insisted.