Dear Editor,
As I had mentioned before, the government seems hell-bent on closing GuySuCo. It is difficult to understand their motive other than their view that the workers at the Corporation mainly support the PPP and this is an act to punish them.
I say this because the sugar industry is not a stranger to crises. Long before the present political parties in this country were formed, the industry battled several crises and overcame them all.
The worst crisis the Corporation experienced was in 1990, but under the PPP/C government production surged past the 300,000 tonnes mark per year for several years.
The problems that the company faces now are indeed challenging, but they are certainly not insurmountable. With proper investment, planning, good labour relations climate and management, the corporation could successfully overcome these present challenges.
This time, however, the difference is that the government currently in power has adopted a hostile position to the sugar industry. This is not being emotional as a response from GuySuCo tried to say. This is based on actions of the government.
In the first place, they established a very expensive Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into GuySuCo’s operations. They found no evidence of fraud or mismanagement, and their recommendations are what have been known all along. This CoI cost GuySuCo more than $80 million to arrive at that conclusion.
Secondly, the commission which they set up did not recommend closing any estate. The government disregarded this and is pushing ahead with closure. In my earlier missive, I said that that decision will prove to be a tragic mistake. It will cause huge problems in our society, including loss of jobs, rise in crime and pauperisation of the population, particularly in the areas where the estates are located. It, therefore, makes more sense to invest in the industry than close it down. The nation and its people will reap great benefits.
Instead, the government has started to practice apartheid in GuySuCo since last November. They are dismissing many managers who have held critical positions; indicative of the direction they are heading. This will prove disastrous for the whole country.
Since November 2015, the following persons were either dismissed, asked to resign or pressured into resigning:
Deodat Singh – Factory Manager: he was one of the most qualified and better performing factory managers.
Linton George – Production Manager: Another reputable manager.
Devkumar Ramkissoon – Senior Lab technician
Dindial Persaud – Factory Engineer Manager
R Persaud – Shift Manager
Adesh Singh – Human Resource Manager
Vickram Subramani – Agri Manager
Motilall – Field Superintendent
Narayan – Field Workshop Manager
All the persons mentioned above are of Indo-Guyanese descent. The list may be longer, but these are the persons that came to my attention.
In every case except one, they have been replaced by non-Indian, mainly African-Guyanese. The only Indian-Guyanese who was promoted to replace one of those managers is a known AFC activist. This is clearly racial and political discrimination that is being practiced.
This is yet another case which has exposed this regime’s talk of social cohesion as sheer fluff. Undoubtedly, the setting up of a Ministry of Social Cohesion was a tactic used by this government to deceive the Guyanese people. Talk about social cohesion and establishing a subject ministry is just a cover for the sordid practice of racial discrimination.
Sincerely,
Donald Ramotar,
Former President
