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FM
Former Member

Govt to discontinue GuySuCo Subsidy

Vibert Parvatan

Vibert Parvatan

Sugar turns bitter….

– final CoI report to be presented month-end

 By Alexis Rodney

Guyana’s already broken down economy might be too fragile to continue the sustenance of the ailing Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), and the final report into the investigation into the circumstances leading to its current state of affairs will reveal this and give Government an idea on the way forward.

This was revealed by Vibert Parvatan, Chairman of the Commission established to examine the operations of the Sugar Corporation. He, along with other commissioners, and Agriculture Minister Noel Holder met with members of the media on Friday to give an update on the CoI which was scheduled to come to an end on September 30.

Parvatan lamented the condition of the industry, particularly the financial pressure it imposes on the economy, with the multibillion-dollar subsidies it receives from Government. Both the past and current Governments have pumped billions of dollars into the operations of the Corporation, and Parvatan posited that this did not speak well for Guyana’s weakening financial system.

“Both Governments have been committed and compelled under the caption of bailouts or subsidies to keep the company afloat. While subsidies are not new to sugar industries, the Government of the day, conscious of its sympathy and support for the industry, acknowledges that they have their own limits in terms of funding,” Parvatan told the Press.

According to him, “the little economy of Guyana may not be able to sustain such levels of subsidies”.

If GuySuCo was seen primarily as a business, there would have been a simple obvious solution to the situation, Parvatan said. But things, as they are now, prove that GuySuCo is “more than a business. It impacts on the lives of Guyanese, particularly those living along the Atlantic coast”.

The Chairman said it was against that backdrop that Commissioners were asked to make recommendations on the way forward for the industry. According to him, the task is complicated, but not insurmountable. He said there were a number of suggestions that have been placed before the Commission. And while many of these proposals could not be recommended to Government because of the theory of impartiality, they were in the process of looking at some sections would benefit the people.

GuySuCo, he reminded, has been operating at a loss of billions of dollars annually.

“It is no secret that GuySuCo is in a very critical situation, with their yields declining”.

He said GuySuCo had years back been able to maintain its production at a minimum of 300,000 tonnes, today the production continues to “go down and down”.

To compound the problem of declining production, he said the unit cost of production has been climbing. Sources at GuySuCo have informed him that as things stand now, the world market price is some 13 US cents per pound and, in the same vein, the Sugar Corporation has advised that its current cost of production is around 45 cents per pound.

He said the historical position of the European Market, which gave the preferential prices and which was a bonanza in times past, was now going downhill. According to him, every estate from Skeldon to Uitvlugt was operating at a loss.

“That loss position did not start this year or last year. It goes back to a number of years and each year the figure has been climbing. Last year, it climbed to $17 billion, which is a major concern,” he said.

“In essence, the accountants will say that GuySuCo is insolvent, the past Government and the present Government have been committed and compelled to inject funds under the caption of bailout or subsidies to keep the company afloat,” said Parvatan.

Speaking on the progress made so far by the CoI, Parvatan said currently the sub-committees’ reports have already been submitted and each was being placed before the Commission for presentation and discussion.

The Inquiry into the Sugar Corporation began in July of this year. Government said the objective was to develop a plan which would bring the State-owned enterprise, which has been operating since 1976, back to profitability, and assure its long-term environmental and economic sustainability.

The Commissioners, who are tasked with development planning for this purpose, are mandated to “investigate and inquire into the current state of cane cultivation, production, and marketing of sugar, molasses and other by-products, including power”.

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Parvatan lamented the condition of the industry, particularly the financial pressure it imposes on the economy, with the multibillion-dollar subsidies it receives from Government. Both the past and current Governments have pumped billions of dollars into the operations of the Corporation, and Parvatan posited that this did not speak well for Guyana’s weakening financial system.

FM

He said the historical position of the European Market, which gave the preferential prices and which was a bonanza in times past, was now going downhill. According to him, every estate from Skeldon to Uitvlugt was operating at a loss.

FM

Sources at GuySuCo have informed him that as things stand now, the world market price is some 13 US cents per pound and, in the same vein, the Sugar Corporation has advised that its current cost of production is around 45 cents per pound.

FM
Originally Posted by asj:

I guess that the above para says it all. Guyana cannot continue producing sugar at 45 cents per pound, whils't the market price is 13 cents per pound.

The people making the decision on Guysuco are incapable of understanding the consequences. It is like scrapping the Railway-that was loosing money as well. Corruption is a major roadblock for profitability.

 

Guyana seems to be heading over the precipice.

S
Originally Posted by seignet:
Originally Posted by asj:

I guess that the above para says it all. Guyana cannot continue producing sugar at 45 cents per pound, whils't the market price is 13 cents per pound.

The people making the decision on Guysuco are incapable of understanding the consequences. It is like scrapping the Railway-that was loosing money as well. Corruption is a major roadblock for profitability.

 

Guyana seems to be heading over the precipice.

The Burnham government left the country in a bankrupted state. I guess the PPP was unable to fix their problems in the 23 years of trying.  The debt was too high to pay. Now that the PNC is back, let them fix the problems and stop complaining like little girls.

R
Originally Posted by Ramakant-P:
Originally Posted by seignet:
Originally Posted by asj:

I guess that the above para says it all. Guyana cannot continue producing sugar at 45 cents per pound, whils't the market price is 13 cents per pound.

The people making the decision on Guysuco are incapable of understanding the consequences. It is like scrapping the Railway-that was loosing money as well. Corruption is a major roadblock for profitability.

 

Guyana seems to be heading over the precipice.

The Burnham government left the country in a bankrupted state. I guess the PPP was unable to fix their problems in the 23 years of trying.  The debt was too high to pay. Now that the PNC is back, let them fix the problems and stop complaining like little girls.

Granger made one grave mistake.  He put two water washed coolies to run the government.

R
Originally Posted by Ramakant-P:
Originally Posted by Ramakant-P:
Originally Posted by seignet:
Originally Posted by asj:

I guess that the above para says it all. Guyana cannot continue producing sugar at 45 cents per pound, whils't the market price is 13 cents per pound.

The people making the decision on Guysuco are incapable of understanding the consequences. It is like scrapping the Railway-that was loosing money as well. Corruption is a major roadblock for profitability.

 

Guyana seems to be heading over the precipice.

The Burnham government left the country in a bankrupted state. I guess the PPP was unable to fix their problems in the 23 years of trying.  The debt was too high to pay. Now that the PNC is back, let them fix the problems and stop complaining like little girls.

Granger made one grave mistake.  He put two water washed coolies to run the government.

Rememba where the 'two wata washed coolies' come from and who trained dem. 

Now de PPP getting de runnings, when de 'wata wash coolies' using the same training, to keep de PPP straight.

But could a crooked snake eva walk straight ? 

Tola
Originally Posted by Ramakant-P:
Originally Posted by seignet:
Originally Posted by asj:

I guess that the above para says it all. Guyana cannot continue producing sugar at 45 cents per pound, whils't the market price is 13 cents per pound.

The people making the decision on Guysuco are incapable of understanding the consequences. It is like scrapping the Railway-that was loosing money as well. Corruption is a major roadblock for profitability.

 

Guyana seems to be heading over the precipice.

The Burnham government left the country in a bankrupted state. I guess the PPP was unable to fix their problems in the 23 years of trying.  The debt was too high to pay. Now that the PNC is back, let them fix the problems and stop complaining like little girls.

Hey drunky, why throw good money after bad?

 

Why should Guyana  continue producing sugar at 45 cents per pound, whils't the market price is 13 cents per pound?

Mitwah
Originally Posted by Mitwah:
Originally Posted by Ramakant-P:
Originally Posted by seignet:
Originally Posted by asj:

I guess that the above para says it all. Guyana cannot continue producing sugar at 45 cents per pound, whils't the market price is 13 cents per pound.

The people making the decision on Guysuco are incapable of understanding the consequences. It is like scrapping the Railway-that was loosing money as well. Corruption is a major roadblock for profitability.

 

Guyana seems to be heading over the precipice.

The Burnham government left the country in a bankrupted state. I guess the PPP was unable to fix their problems in the 23 years of trying.  The debt was too high to pay. Now that the PNC is back, let them fix the problems and stop complaining like little girls.

Hey drunky, why throw good money after bad?

 

Why should Guyana  continue producing sugar at 45 cents per pound, whils't the market price is 13 cents per pound?

That is a very hard question for that chap,ah wonder if he

ran any business.

Django
Originally Posted by Django:
Originally Posted by Mitwah:
Originally Posted by Ramakant-P:
Originally Posted by seignet:
Originally Posted by asj:

I guess that the above para says it all. Guyana cannot continue producing sugar at 45 cents per pound, whils't the market price is 13 cents per pound.

The people making the decision on Guysuco are incapable of understanding the consequences. It is like scrapping the Railway-that was loosing money as well. Corruption is a major roadblock for profitability.

 

Guyana seems to be heading over the precipice.

The Burnham government left the country in a bankrupted state. I guess the PPP was unable to fix their problems in the 23 years of trying.  The debt was too high to pay. Now that the PNC is back, let them fix the problems and stop complaining like little girls.

Hey drunky, why throw good money after bad?

 

Why should Guyana  continue producing sugar at 45 cents per pound, whils't the market price is 13 cents per pound?

That is a very hard question for that chap,ah wonder if he

ran any business.

Guys like Rama and Yuji comes here and show their arrogance, ignorance,stupidity and typically what most in the PPP are like.

They seem to lack protocol, courtesy and follow exactly the arrogant behaviour of Jagdeo/Rohee, including others in the PPP.

This is a real bad example that is influencing the youth of Guyana. Rass it might take generations to straighten their heads.  

Tola
Originally Posted by Prashad:
These people in power are not going to subsidize PPP supporters.

ah know you will say that,the PPP knew the two industry

were failing so they fix it by propping it,so they can get

their votes,now reality kicks in and the current gov't is

blamed.

Django
Originally Posted by Prashad:
These people in power are not going to subsidize PPP supporters.

The reality is they were being subsidized for over a decade now. That is how long this industry has been under performing and needing supplemental funds.

 

The government maintain that sugar is here to stay. It may not be in the form it is in but the commitment to the 11 to 15 thousand families who directly depend on it is to ensure they fit in and can make a livable wage in the new organization.

 

The Present subsidy and building castles in the sky in hope the industry magically return to robust profitability is wishful thinking. The new plan may even involve decommissioning the crippled Skeldon plant. It does not produce sugar at viable market prices. It is a dud.

 

The Sugar workers are understanding exactly what bauxite workers know. When an industry collapse, changes are inevitable. The sugar workers toiling in the fields at a futile task will have to accept, the rest of the nation cannot continue to carry them and the dead weight sugar industry on their backs. It has been a leech on them for over a decade now.

 

How it will change, I do not know. It is grangers burden.

FM
Last edited by Former Member

Well, CBJ got his wishes. Close down the estates, dey paying slave labour wages, that was his cry. In the PPP 23 years, dey paid sugar workers high wages and Ramotar also got a good piece from it.

 

Leh meh see if dem goan fallow Jagdeo like sheep.

S
Originally Posted by seignet:
 

Guyana seems to be heading over the precipice.

In its 23 years of power the PPP did NOTHING to move Guyana from being a high cost producer of commodity products aimed at protected markets.  They then pretended that the post 2008 boom was not due to the lucky fact that gold prices soared.

 

Well with gold prices down, and the sugar and rice industries being too inefficient to compete in global markets, the chickens have come home to roost.

 

Of course the Indo KKK will scream that this only happened after May 11, 2015.

 

LAST YEAR I warned that this would happen, as did TK and many others.

FM
Originally Posted by Ramakant-P:
. I guess the PPP was unable to fix their problems in the 23 years of trying. 

The problem is that Guyana's economy remained untransformed, so why does the PPP claim that it had excellent economic policy.

 

There were heavy remittances, debt forgiveness, and high commodity prices until recently.

 

Can any one explain where in all of this is there any sign of PPP excellence in managing the economy?

FM

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