APNU+AFC insults sugar workers again –– they ignored sugar workers in their manifesto

WHEN the story of the 2015 General Elections is written in less than one week from them, the most intriguing and disgraceful occurrence will be the stupidity of APNU+AFC in insulting the sugar workers. It is appalling that APNU+AFC has no plans for GuySuCo and has presented a manifesto in which sugar has been relegated to no significance. Sugar workers will be extremely vigorous in rejecting APNU+AFC on May11th for this absurd transgression.

As Minister of Agriculture, I continue to be concerned about the intentions of APNU+AFC relating to the sugar workers and the sugar industry. In their “official” manifesto for the 2015 Elections, they have virtually nothing to say about the sugar industry or the sugar workers. Like for most of the important economic areas, they simply stated that they will establish a Commission of Inquiry to determine the way forward.
For APNU+AFC to have nothing in their manifesto about the sugar industry and for them to actually tell the nation that they have no idea what is the way forward for GuySuCo, they disqualify themselves for consideration to form the next Government in Guyana. No political party can seriously talk about governing Guyana without firm ideas on how to sustain and further develop sugar in Guyana.
GuySuCo accounts for a significant part of Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), one of the largest contributors to the GDP. No political party of worth can afford to ignore sugar in Guyana. Indeed, it is unconscionable and unforgiveable for any political party to so visibly ignore sugar. We cannot talk about development in Guyana and good governance while ignoring an industry that employs almost 20,000 sugar workers and that contributes significantly to a drainage and irrigation network that supports the rice industry, livestock and cash crops. More than 120,000 Guyanese are directly dependent on the sugar industry. GuySuCo also plays a role in supporting both the health sector and youth and sports in our country.
It is absolutely incredulous that APNU+AFC is so irresponsible as to ignore this important sub-sector in our economic and social development. This, however, while shocking that APNU+AFC would completely shut sugar out of its manifesto, is not inconsistent with its stance on sugar. Its main economic and finance spokesman, Carl Greenidge, had openly stated in the recent past that any money invested in sugar is a black hole. He further asserted in Parliament that the sugar workers are not the responsibility of APNU+AFC, but that they are the PPP/C’s problem.
While APNU+AFC considers sugar workers as not their concern, the PPP/C has always stood with the sugar industry and the sugar workers. The PPP’s history is integrally intertwined with sugar. In colonial days, post- independence until 1992 and since 1992, the PPP has always stood firmly beside sugar workers. Whatever the challenges, we will remain resolutely dedicated to the welfare and betterment of sugar workers. This is manifested in the fact that we have always ensured that sugar workers get increases in their wages and salaries every year we have been in Government, no matter how well or poorly GuySuCo performed.
In ignoring the sugar industry in their manifesto, APNU+AFC has confirmed an often open commitment to close sugar. In early 2014, they stated at an official APNU media briefing that they will close sugar and replace it with tilapia. In less than 24 hours after that media briefing, Mr. Ramjattan of the AFC stated in very emphatic language that he agreed with that position. During the entire budget debate in 2014, in spite of a challenge from me to dissociate themselves from that policy statement, no member of APNU or the AFC took the opportunity to deny that closure of sugar is in their agenda.
More recently, another economic advisor of APNU, Mr. Stanley Ming, again called for the closure of sugar, but he suggested that Guyana replace sugar with quinoa. I have consistently asked APNU+AFC to either own up to this policy decision or dissociate themselves from it. Again they have ignored me. But their silence on sugar in their manifesto is a loud confirmation of their real intent on sugar – close sugar. There can be no other conclusion.
Adding credence to my view that APNU+AFC is determined to close sugar are two further facts:
• They spoke of a 10% increase in salaries and wages for public servants, but have made no provision for any increases for wages and salaries for sugar workers. This is an insult to sugar workers and exposes their dishonesty. In 2011, the AFC had promised sugar workers 20% pay increases. Yet throughout the period 2011 to presently, in the 10th Parliament, they have rejected any financial support to GuySuCo and the sugar workers.
• Prior to the “official” release of their manifesto last Thursday, they had released another version of their manifesto. But there was an immediate backlash and they withdrew that initial release. Part of the reason is that they had included this statement in the manifesto: “We believe that our sugar fields are tailor-made for aquaculture. The farming of tilapia is proving to be very lucrative.” They inadvertently exposed their wild, irresponsible and devious plan to close sugar.
Their insult to sugar workers was even more palpable in that version of the manifesto. In that initial release, they had made provisions for 20% pay increases for military and police officers and 10% increases for public servants and teachers. But they ignored sugar workers in that earlier release.
The sugar industry is not only important to sugar workers and their families, it is important to all of us. Importantly, businesses in Regions 3, 4, 5 and 6 can attest to the indispensable role sugar plays in the economic and social lives of people. Region 6 will almost become a ghost region without sugar.
APNU+AFC not only exposes its disdain for the sugar industry and the sugar workers, but displays unpardonable ingratitude to an industry that kept Guyana alive for many years during the PNC’s rule. The sugar levy was the main source of revenue for the PNC Government. The sugar industry subsidised the bauxite industry and provided an important source of revenue for the PNC Government to meet its payment to public servants. Now when the industry is facing serious challenges such as a low sugar price and climate change, APNU+AFC, the surrogate for the PNC, wants to bury sugar. The PPP/C stands firmly in its unequivocal rejection of APNU+AFC’s ingratitude.
The PPP/C had to rescue sugar in 1992 from the PNC which now parades itself as APNU. Sugar was almost dead in 1992. The PPP/C brought sugar back and restored its glory. We acknowledge that GuySuCo has had difficulties in recent years and that our flagship project, the Skeldon expansion, has not reached its potential. But we are convinced that GuySuCo is again on an upward trajectory. We are confident that GuySuCo will meet its target of more than 300,000 tons of sugar by 2017 and surpass 400,000 tons by the end of 2020.
The PPP/C has presented its plan for sugar in a GuySuCo Business Plan and we have also presented specific proposals in our 2015 manifesto. Further, we have articulated our position on sugar in many public presentations. Both the President and I have provided specific details on how we will invest to improve the sugar industry, including an investment of $20B.
There can be no doubt – sugar defines in stark details the differences between the PPP/C and APNU+AFC and between Donald Ramotar and David Granger. The PPP/C and Donald Ramotar stand for a strong sugar industry and we are willing to invest in the industry and in sugar workers. APNU+AFC speaks in riddles, but clearly intends to close the sugar industry.
The PPP/C will never allow APNU+AFC to touch sugar. For this reason I call on APNU+AFC to abandon their plans to close sugar. I demand an apology from David Granger, Moses Nagamootoo and Khemraj Ramjattan for their callous treatment of one of the most important industries in the Caribbean. In the case of Nagamootoo and Ramjattan, they have betrayed the sugar workers and for that reason they will feel the power of the sugar workers on May 11th.
In recent weeks, the sugar workers have been making their position clear – they reject APNU+AFC. They feel betrayed and no longer trust anyone in APNU+AFC. It is now too late for APNU+AFC to try to fool sugar workers, it will simply not work. We had given them a chance to say honestly and simply whether they would close the sugar industry. We wanted no ifs or buts. They refused to give a simple answer. Moses Nagamootoo’s 11% has now evaporated.

DR. LESLIE RAMSAMMY