Dear Editor,
All effective managers know that in the process of commissioning a new plant or activity to replace an old but working plant or activity, the rule is never decommission the old plant/activity until the new one is operational and staffed with workers who know what they are doing. Managers learn this in management science 101. Not following this approach, more often than not, usually results in a disaster and escalating costs. The Skeldon Sugar factory appears to be a classic case of this type of mismanagement.
More important is the fact that this disaster has piqued President Jagdeo’s interest, since he recently claimed he will commence “fire-fighting action” to implement measures to make Skeldon Sugar a profitable operation. Good intentions in these circumstances are useful, but as the Guyanese old people say, “Boat gone a falls.”
In this regard, most of the senior staff who managed the old factory have resigned or retired, therefore there is insufficient institutional memory and experience in the current GuySuCo to turn around this US$200 million operation or restart the old factory that allegedly has been cannibalized. In addition, Guyanese were not sent to be trained in a similar new plant in China, hence, a critical mass of skills that can manage this new operation is absent. Moreover, the company that installed the plant had all sorts of problems that may have violated contractual requirements as they may have missed many dates for deliverables. Above all, to have the President announce publicly that he will take charge of the issues at Skeldon is a signal that the GuySuCo Board of Directors, a board the President appointed, may have failed and that these directors could be a part of the problem. Consequently, they should resign, for the President’s statement is clearly a vote of no confidence in them.
One of the fascinating things about Guyana is that we do not learn from our mistakes, for we make the same mistakes continuously and then we sit back and do nothing. If it is not a failing factory, it could be a faulty bridge or road, a wharf that cannot be used, a culvert, a school, a hydroelectric plant, suspect tendering, stealing from the estate, corruption, and many more unsavoury events. It is time we hold policy-makers accountable, for if a US$200 million disaster cannot change the management culture of how we spend and account for public funds, we do not have much else left to be destroyed. Of course, we could have artists make a song and dance about it, usually a good palliative, but we no longer have the time or the resources to engage in such frivolity. Guyanese must stop this waste of public funds by policy-makers.
Yours faithfully,
C Kenrick Hunte
