Should have been closed 10 years now.

All well and good to close entities that are failing.  But what are they replacing it with?  Nothing.  No new business enterprises means the economy will come to a grinding halt as is trending at the moment.  And the looming world recession would be the final nail in the coffin of BANKRUPTCY for Guyana.

Wales factory is a small factory, only about 500 person will be redeployed either to enmore or utivlugt or home.

But that mean 17,000 other jobs will be saved.

It make absolute sense to close Wales Factory that is producing sugar at 55 cent a pound.

And grass will take over the plantation of 350 years old. History just vanish.

KishanB posted:

Wales factory is a small factory, only about 500 person will be redeployed either to enmore or utivlugt or home.

 

But that mean 17,000 other jobs will be saved.

 

It make absolute sense to close Wales Factory that is producing sugar at 55 cent a pound.

Closing Wales factory and nothing to replace, is creating a vacuum for crime to grow. Presently , CRIME is the fastest growing business all other stats are going south.

kp posted:

KishanB posted:

Wales factory is a small factory, only about 500 person will be redeployed either to enmore or utivlugt or home.

But that mean 17,000 other jobs will be saved.

It make absolute sense to close Wales Factory that is producing sugar at 55 cent a pound.

Closing Wales factory and nothing to replace, is creating a vacuum for crime to grow. Presently , CRIME is the fastest growing business all other stats are going south.

I doubt it.  Most of the displaced are Indians and they will seek and find some other legit way of making an honest living!

I know Wales, they have the highest concentration for MIX RACE population in Guyana, in the sixties when interracial marriage was a Tabu, it was fashion in Wales.Also, many blacks live there. In the early seventies, break and enter was happening often in Wales, a friend of mine, father got shot through the front door, he came to Canada for treatment then died. There is no other industry for the people to fall back, ask them to move to Uitvlugt and Enmore is an expensive move, the only people to move will be the senior management, they get FREE housing, vehicle expense etc.,By the way, CRIMINALS comes in ALL RACES.

kp posted:

I know Wales, they have the highest concentration for MIX RACE population in Guyana, in the sixties when interracial marriage was a Tabu, it was fashion in Wales..

Never knew that.  I met very few from Wales and they were Indians.  Now, that explains your "move-to-crime" fear, then I concur!

I hope they have a plan to convert it into a tourist site as there is in Suriname. I hope dey doan mek bush tek it over. Once that happens its hundreds of millions to reverse. Imagine getting 10K tourists going there each year. These hucksters and hustlers drug pushers screw up GT architecture. You get GT on UN World Heritage list and you can get 20K tourists. Paramaribo is beatutiful and un the UN's list.  

TK posted:

I hope they have a plan to convert it into a tourist site as there is in Suriname. I hope dey doan mek bush tek it over. Once that happens its hundreds of millions to reverse. Imagine getting 10K tourists going there each year. These hucksters and hustlers drug pushers screw up GT architecture. You get GT on UN World Heritage list and you can get 20K tourists. Paramaribo is beatutiful and un the UN's list.  

The PNC will sell the parts as scrap iron and return the land to nature. They have no plan for Guyana, they are squatting in office until all the goddies are gone. 

TK posted:

I hope they have a plan to convert it into a tourist site as there is in Suriname. I hope dey doan mek bush tek it over. Once that happens its hundreds of millions to reverse. Imagine getting 10K tourists going there each year. These hucksters and hustlers drug pushers screw up GT architecture. You get GT on UN World Heritage list and you can get 20K tourists. Paramaribo is beatutiful and un the UN's list.  

TK in Wonderland!!  Which part of the GT architecture got screwed up by pushers?  What should the people of Guyana do, live in dilapidated old structures while you/we live modern in the US?

Listen banna, not sure where you get these ideas from, but Guyana is not some historical old cultural gem, frozen in time, waiting to be discovered.  Whatever little was there, was destroyed by PNC mo fyah slo fyah goons beginning in the 60's.

Let me wake you up, for an unconnected visitor Guyana is an uncomfortable, unsafe hell hole populated by people mostly struggling to make ends meet and don't like being together.  There is little to do when the sun goes down or weekend comes.  There are no major cultural sites or museums.  Besides, one does not walk around as one wrong turn could land you in Tiger Bay or similar type infested neighborhood, where Baghdad might be rated a safer bet!  The streets, outside of GT proper, become a mud dam when it rains where only an SUV gets you through.  Not even talking mosquitoes, the icing on the cake from god!

The only foreigners there are expats and they get paid handsomely and many have their family in TT for schooling and safety.  I traveled to many countries and lived in several and I can testify, Guyana is on the edge of the abyss!!  With all his big mouth, why don't you think Caribj does not visit!  Even he cannot handle his uncouth, ill-mannered brethren infesting that piece of real estate!

Region’s economy will suffer tremendously – former President

Ramoutar failed the nation as he blindly supported the perpetuation of an inefficient sugar industry. Hopefully Granger has the fortitude to close down the entire industry, even at the risk of his own political career. In the long run it will be better for Guyana. 

This is a tough decision that the PPP/C Jagdeo nor Ramoutar couldn't make.

Mr Ramotar could have been President today. He was not very circumspect. You cannot inflame the opposition by rejecting every single bill and proposal they made. He should have gave in a little so as to diffuse the no confidence motion. The Burnham constitution meant he could be President with 48%. Not a very smart man. They really believe they owned coolie people; that they can call election and automatically win back a majority. Not that simple!

Anyhow, my main reason for posting: he cannot just say workers will suffer. Of course they will suffer. Yes, Tata is just about to send home 1200 workers at of their steel mills in UK. As a former president and important member of the opposition he will earn much more respect if he offers an alternative to closing Wales. What is the alternative to continually running a loss making business? What's the alternative?

baseman posted:

TK posted:

I hope they have a plan to convert it into a tourist site as there is in Suriname. I hope dey doan mek bush tek it over. Once that happens its hundreds of millions to reverse. Imagine getting 10K tourists going there each year. These hucksters and hustlers drug pushers screw up GT architecture. You get GT on UN World Heritage list and you can get 20K tourists. Paramaribo is beatutiful and un the UN's list.  

TK in Wonderland!!  Which part of the GT architecture got screwed up by pushers?  What should the people of Guyana do, live in dilapidated old structures while you/we live modern in the US?

Listen banna, not sure where you get these ideas from, but Guyana is not some historical old cultural gem, frozen in time, waiting to be discovered.  Whatever little was there, was destroyed by PNC mo fyah slo fyah goons beginning in the 60's.

Let me wake you up, for an unconnected visitor Guyana is an uncomfortable, unsafe hell hole populated by people mostly struggling to make ends meet and don't like being together.  There is little to do when the sun goes down or weekend comes.  There are no major cultural sites or museums.  Besides, one does not walk around as one wrong turn could land you in Tiger Bay or similar type infested neighborhood, where Baghdad might be rated a safer bet!  The streets, outside of GT proper, become a mud dam when it rains where only an SUV gets you through.  Not even talking mosquitoes, the icing on the cake from god!

The only foreigners there are expats and they get paid handsomely and many have their family in TT for schooling and safety.  I traveled to many countries and lived in several and I can testify, Guyana is on the edge of the abyss!!  With all his big mouth, why don't you think Caribj does not visit!  Even he cannot handle his uncouth, ill-mannered brethren infesting that piece of real estate!

Well ayoo coolie party had 23 years to make it a better place. You guys could not. Now, all I'm saying enforce the building codes so that you have an esthetically pleasing city. All dem traveling ayoo do and yuh not observing how architecture tells a powerful story about history, culture and environment?

kp posted:

KishanB posted:

Wales factory is a small factory, only about 500 person will be redeployed either to enmore or utivlugt or home.

 

But that mean 17,000 other jobs will be saved.

 

It make absolute sense to close Wales Factory that is producing sugar at 55 cent a pound.

Closing Wales factory and nothing to replace, is creating a vacuum for crime to grow. Presently , CRIME is the fastest growing business all other stats are going south.

They will have to manage just as former bauxite workers in Linden did.

TK posted:

.

Well ayoo coolie party had 23 years to make it a better place. You guys could not. Now, all I'm saying enforce the building codes so that you have an esthetically pleasing city. All dem traveling ayoo do and yuh not observing how architecture tells a powerful story about history, culture and environment?

This is the mentality of PPP supporters.  Pulled down our unique architecture that made G/town, unique and replace them with ugly heavy, clumsy looking structures ill suited for our humid tropical climate.

The first article about Guyana that I saw in the NY Times Travel Section was about what remained of G/town architecture. 

By why the shock when people like baseman have no pride in being Guyanese, so no appreciation for our heritage!

caribny posted:

This is the mentality of PPP supporters.  Pulled down our unique architecture that made G/town, unique and replace them with ugly heavy, clumsy looking structures ill suited for our humid tropical climate.

Listen banna, there are few standing historical and cultural sites in Guyana, the St Georges cathedral being one.  Most other fell victim to PNC slash and burn since the 60's.  BTW, many of the old Govt buildings survived the PPP tenure.  Most new structures were build on new lands.

caribny posted:

TK posted:

.

Well ayoo coolie party had 23 years to make it a better place. You guys could not. Now, all I'm saying enforce the building codes so that you have an esthetically pleasing city. All dem traveling ayoo do and yuh not observing how architecture tells a powerful story about history, culture and environment?

This is the mentality of PPP supporters.  Pulled down our unique architecture that made G/town, unique and replace them with ugly heavy, clumsy looking structures ill suited for our humid tropical climate.

The first article about Guyana that I saw in the NY Times Travel Section was about what remained of G/town architecture. 

By why the shock when people like baseman have no pride in being Guyanese, so no appreciation for our heritage!

You can't expect private enterprise to be burdened with maintaining/upkeeping historical structures. In fact most of these structures were fire hazards. Even in recent times, the afc/apnu supporters were quite successful in burning down gtown due to the availability of historical structures that were perfect for such activities. 

baseman posted:

caribny posted:

This is the mentality of PPP supporters.  Pulled down our unique architecture that made G/town, unique and replace them with ugly heavy, clumsy looking structures ill suited for our humid tropical climate.

Listen banna, there are few standing historical and cultural sites in Guyana, the St Georges cathedral being one.  Most other fell victim to PNC slash and burn since the 60's.  BTW, many of the old Govt buildings survived the PPP tenure.  Most new structures were build on new lands.

In 1972 Guyana hosted Carifesta.  Georgetown was much regaled by visiting Caribbean people as being the most attractive and elegant city in the Caribbean.  Buildings on Carmichael Street, Brickdam, Main Street, Ave of the Republic, and in Kingston  were much admired.

Water St was never much and that was the street which was torched in 1962.

Drugb posted:

 

You can't expect private enterprise to be burdened with maintaining/upkeeping historical structures.

No, they prefer ugly monstrosities, which make their air conditioning costs tremendous, and necessitating a generator.  Because most of them are country booboo, who have no exposure to aesthetics, and who slavishly copy architecture best suited for cold climates.   Many even hate Guyana, so have no respect for its heritage.

In other parts of the Caribbean heritage buildings are maintained. In fact it is the PRIVATE sector which has traditionally spear headed the maintenance of this sites.  NOT gov't.

In fact even where traditional buildings cannot be maintained, the newer structures are built to approximate the older buildings as much as possible.   Look at the Cara hotel properties.  One was the famous building owned by the Taitt family, an important part of G/town heritage.  Still there!

caribny posted:

In 1972 Guyana hosted Carifesta.  Georgetown was much regaled by visiting Caribbean people as being the most attractive and elegant city in the Caribbean.  Buildings on Carmichael Street, Brickdam, Main Street, Ave of the Republic, and in Kingston  were much admired.

Water St was never much and that was the street which was torched in 1962.

Maybe, this was a few short years after independence and the PNC had not yet embarked on its scorched earth economic policies.  This actually started in 1973!

baseman posted:

caribny posted:

In 1972 Guyana hosted Carifesta.  Georgetown was much regaled by visiting Caribbean people as being the most attractive and elegant city in the Caribbean.  Buildings on Carmichael Street, Brickdam, Main Street, Ave of the Republic, and in Kingston  were much admired.

Water St was never much and that was the street which was torched in 1962.

Maybe, this was a few short years after independence and the PNC had not yet embarked on its scorched earth economic policies.  This actually started in 1973!

The PNC was excellent between 1964 and 1972.  It is when Burnham's insanity began, and he and Cheddi fully embraced the need to nationalize every thing, and the infamous Sophia Declaration was promulgated, that things fell apart.

The only difference that there would have been with Cheddi, would have been that the decline would have begun earlier, as Janet would have dumped Guyana into the arms of the Soviet Union by 1967.  We would have immediately faced a US embargo.

In addition, instead of black square pegs in round holes whose only qualification was the PNC card, we would have had Indo ones with PPP cards, and undying loyalty to the "blue eye bougie."

Its a pity that the ethnic insecurities of blacks and Indians meant that we didn't support the UF.  In the long run that would have been better.  The black power movements that swept through the Caribbean would have made the Portuguese open up and cease their "light skin" preference.

Bibi Haniffa posted:

All well and good to close entities that are failing.  But what are they replacing it with?  Nothing.  No new business enterprises means the economy will come to a grinding halt as is trending at the moment.  And the looming world recession would be the final nail in the coffin of BANKRUPTCY for Guyana.

Bibi

This is exactly where Guyana is headed. The AFC/PNC is not creating any new jobs or opportunities.

To quote the esteemed Nehru: "Guyana gone fuh Channa"

What nonsense that son of a B------. is talking. When the PPP was in government, the sole purpose of the opposition/ PNC was to cause disruption and destruction to the country, Burn, loot and Destroy private and Government buildings. It was ONLY during the PPP rule that foreign investors went back, retirees return to build houses open Big and Small businesses, there was development, Roads, Schools, Hospitals, Bridge, Stadium, Hotels. All the new big houses in Georgetown and in the country side are overseas guyanese and mainly Indians went back and build, Why!! they had confidence in the PPP government, if the government Invest then the people will invest.

caribny posted:

baseman posted:

caribny posted:

In 1972 Guyana hosted Carifesta.  Georgetown was much regaled by visiting Caribbean people as being the most attractive and elegant city in the Caribbean.  Buildings on Carmichael Street, Brickdam, Main Street, Ave of the Republic, and in Kingston  were much admired.

Water St was never much and that was the street which was torched in 1962.

Maybe, this was a few short years after independence and the PNC had not yet embarked on its scorched earth economic policies.  This actually started in 1973!

The PNC was excellent between 1964 and 1972.  It is when Burnham's insanity began, and he and Cheddi fully embraced the need to nationalize every thing, and the infamous Sophia Declaration was promulgated, that things fell apart.

The only difference that there would have been with Cheddi, would have been that the decline would have begun earlier, as Janet would have dumped Guyana into the arms of the Soviet Union by 1967.  We would have immediately faced a US embargo.

In addition, instead of black square pegs in round holes whose only qualification was the PNC card, we would have had Indo ones with PPP cards, and undying loyalty to the "blue eye bougie."

Its a pity that the ethnic insecurities of blacks and Indians meant that we didn't support the UF.  In the long run that would have been better.  The black power movements that swept through the Caribbean would have made the Portuguese open up and cease their "light skin" preference.

Well, we have to learn from past mistakes and forge a better future.  We always say Burnham this, Cheddie that, then we do the same!!

I hear somebody say dat carib say dem putagee peeps real good peeps, dah true?

Govt confirms closure of Wales Sugar Estate

– hundreds of private cane farmers to be affected
– Opposition Leader to meet with workers today

By Kristen Macklingam

As reported in the Guyana Times on Sunday, the woes and struggles of sugar workers employed at the Wales,

The soon-to-be-closed Wales sugar factory

West Bank Demerara (WBD) Sugar Estate will now increase significantly following Government’s confirmation on Monday that the estate in question is to be closed.
According to the Agriculture Ministry, it has acknowledged the fact that there is need for investment so as to ‘refurbish’ the Wales Sugar Estate and the figures for this remain significantly high.
However, “the finances are simply not available” and diverting funds from the other estates to keep Wales afloat would “seriously jeopardise the future of these estates”, the Government said.
As such, the Administration remains steadfast in its position that this cannot be allowed to happen and, therefore, the decision to close the Wales Estate is final.
In a media statement, the Agriculture Ministry stated that there was a “gloomy outlook” for sugar prices in the foreseeable future and the Wales Estate has been projected to make a loss of $1.6 billion to $1.9 billion this year.
The relevant authorities are contending that this coupled with the extent of refurbishment needed renders this Estate prohibitively costly to maintain.
“It is impossible to make sugar production at Wales viable… The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) will be exploring the feasibility of alternative ventures utilising the Wales lands. The important criteria for such projects would be wealth creation and employment generation,” the release said.
It is the Government’s hope that the first of such projects commence by October 1 this year.

Closing Wales to protect the other estates
In order to protect the other sugar estates in the country, the Sugar Corporation has no alternative but to cease further land preparation and planting with immediate effect.
“As the Estate’s cultivation is harvested, the land would be retired and held for other diversification ventures. The Wales factory would operate throughout 2016, milling both the Estate’s and farmers’ canes. It will be closed at the end of the 2016 second crop,” the Agriculture Ministry stated.
The media statement went on to say that with effect from next year, the farmers’ canes would be milled at the Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara (WCD) factory.
For the rest of 2016, the routing of the farmers’ canes to Uitvlugt would be determined to ensure the least additional cost, the Government posited.
“Agricultural workers at Wales will be absorbed by Uitvlugt up to the extent of suitable vacancies on that location. Surplus labour would have to be made redundant. The same principle would apply to the other departments,” the release added.
According to the Ministry, GuySuCo has informed that such a course of action has “nothing to do with the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the sugar industry”, though the CoI report does make reference to the Corporation’s plans for 2016.
The Government further stated that the abovementioned initiatives, along with others, were contained in GuySuCo’s 2016 Budget and Action Plan.
“In the ensuing weeks, other initiatives would be implemented which are aimed at reducing costs and losses, increasing efficiency and improving sugar production, revenue and cash generations so as to ensure a more effective management of the Corporation’s resources,” the Administration noted.
However, even as Government seeks to cushion the impact of this closure, hundreds of private cane farmers will be affected by this drastic move. Wales Estate saw the largest supply of cane from private cane farmers from Bellview and the Canal Polders. With this decision to close the estate, the impact will be hard felt on surrounding communities, which depended directly on the functioning of the estate as a means of livelihood. Among the communities that will be adversely affected will be Potosi, Wales, Standleytown , Canal Polders and other adjourning areas.

Sinister, surreptitious plan of Government
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has slammed the Government for its decision to shut down the Wales Sugar Estate, a decision which will affect thousands of persons living along the WBD.

He stated that it was a reprehensible action which “shows that the Government cannot be trusted”, referring to a statement made by State Minister Joseph Harmon in December last assuring the public that no estate would be closed.
According to Jagdeo, the 2015 sugar CoI report commissioned by the A Partnership for National

Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition does not recommend any such closure.
“The Government precipitously moved to this hasty closure and this is consistent with what I have always spoken about: a sinister plan, a surreptitious plan to close the sugar industry. I thought at least it would be more subtle and they were using privatisation” he told this newspaper on Monday evening.

Workers vent frustration
Gordon Thomas, a Captain at the Wales sugar factory/estate told Guyana Times that closure of the Estate would have a “grave impact” on the workers and the community at large.
“When you close, that means people will be out of jobs … this is an estate where people really depend on [it] – the old people, the young, the community, and when you close it, then it will affect the people in the community for sure … right now the workers’ morale is very low with this talk of closure; they are thinking a lot of crime will start when it closes,” he said.
A turbine operator, Sultan Hussain stated that the closing of the Wales Sugar Estate would have a negative effect on the entire community and, therefore, the Region’s economy would continue to suffer since it depended heavily on the production of both sugar and rice.
“We need them to put money into GuySuCo because we can do better than what we are doing right now … we don’t have problem with labour force or anything…to transport cane from here (Wales) to Uitvlugt that is out, because that is more costly than anything and that what they are talking about is out…,” Hussain posited.
Brijkumar Mahadeo told this newspaper that thousands of persons depend on the functioning of the Wales Estate to secure their livelihoods.
“There is no alternative if they are closing down the Wales Estate … they pay no wage increase, no Annual Production Incentive (API), nothing and this, they just come telling you now they are going to close Wales…Who are these people, man? We are human beings; we are not hogs or anything,” Mahadeo noted.
He is pleading with the Government and, by extension, President David Granger to look into the matter and rethink the decision.
Filter Operator Surendranauth Baichan expressed his concern over the closure of the Wales Sugar Estate by saying that he believed the Government could do more for the sugar industry before taking such a decision.
“It will affect not me alone but everyone around here and we would like for this estate to continue running. If it doesn’t run, it will affect business people and other families and so on. They can put in money in the Estate and we would like the Government to do this,” he added.
It is important to note that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo last week met with supporters during a breakfast symposium at the Richie Rich Catering Hall in Richmond Hill, New York where he stated that Government was subsidising the sugar industry.
“Last year, $12 billion; this year, we are going to pump another $12 billion because those who ran the sugar industry in the past put it in a state of bankruptcy … We are going to try to protect the jobs of the sugar workers,” the Prime Minister had assured the Diaspora. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)