– as National Assembly hears white paper proposals today
As much of the nation waits to see if negative and/or positive elements will be outlined, Government will officially disclose its plans on charting the way for the sugar industry as the relevant white paper is presented today in the National Assembly.
Sugar workers protesting at Parliament Buildings earlier this year
However, while Members of Parliament (MPs) will hear the proposals, Guyana Times has learnt that a large group of frustrated sugar workers are expected to protest outside Parliament this afternoon. This was confirmed by Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) President Komal Chand on Sunday in an interview with this newspaper.
This latest protest action comes nearly five months after the end of sugar operations at the Wales Sugar Estate which left many employees formerly attached to the entity without their severance packages. Many of the retrenched employees were promised their severance package since December 2016, and several others by January and February of this year.
GAWU President Komal Chand
The workers had contended that they could not be compelled to travel to the Uitvlugt Estate on the West Coast of Demerara, some 22 miles from Wales and staged multiple protests, but the Agriculture Ministry claimed that all workers who had requested severance were already paid. However, at a public meeting with workers and several Government Ministers at Wales, West Bank Demerara (WBD) in March, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had explained that Government could not afford to pay the then $375 million in severance pay.
“As far as I’m aware, those that were given that option during this period of transition – and opted to come out of the industry and not remain as workers to go to Uitvlugt – they were paid their severance. That option having been taken at the time, made those that remain still employees of the company,” Ramjattan explained to frustrated workers who bolted from the meeting moments after.
Government confirmed the closure of Wales, citing cost as the main factor and later confirmed that three estates would be kept, while two others would be closed and Skeldon would be privatised. Apart from the shutting down of Wales, the other disclosures were made following consultations with GAWU; the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on December 31, 2016. Now, nearly five months after, the white paper will be presented but not debated, as per the National Assembly’s order papers for May 8. A white paper is an authoritative report about a complex issue which is meant to help persons understand the issue, solve a problem, or make a decision.
In giving his expectations for the white paper presentation, the GAWU President suggested to this publication that he was not expecting a departure to that which Government has already made known.
“We have to read and know what really they intend to do, but we already conclude that they’re going to close two other estates and privatise Skeldon…I haven’t been able to recognise that they have changed their position. When President [David] Granger went to the activity at Blairmont, he did say that they will close two estates; so in a way he confirmed that they’re going to close Enmore and Rose Hall,” Chand told Guyana Times on Sunday.
Areas of discussion in the white paper could relate to the feasibility of merging some of the sugar estates and factories where appropriate, and selling off some facilities.
The draft white paper on the sugar industry’s future was submitted by Agriculture Minister Noel Holder to Cabinet for its consideration on Tuesday, April 18, 2017. Cabinet discussed the proposals in the draft white paper and subsequently granted its approval for the document to be laid in the National Assembly. The white paper follows a process of overhauling the industry which included a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the subsequent setting up of a special Task Force to look at options on the way forward for the sugar company.
Finance Minister Winston Jordan in his presentation of the 2017 Budget had said that the sugar industry would require Government’s support to the tune of $18.6 billion and $21.4 billion for the years 2017 and 2018, respectively. He had also explained that based on the CoI, it was concluded that any money injected into sugar, in its current state, was money wasted. However, at one of their many demonstrations, sugar workers had reminded that President Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo had committed their support to the sugar industry in the run-up to the 2015 General and Regional Elections. (Shemuel Fanfair)
