Cabinet deliberating carefully on new GuySuCo board – Harmon

Joseph Harmon

While noting that the government has the authority to intervene in the appointment of the board of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), Minister of State Joseph Harmon yesterday said that the matter is presently engaging the attention of Cabinet, which is seeking to select persons who have knowledge about the industry.

“The matter is before Cabinet. Cabinet is deliberating on it and at the appropriate time a cabinet decision will be made,” he said when asked during a post-Cabinet press briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency.

Several weeks ago, confusion erupted after it was advertised that Colvin Heath-London, who heads the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) overseeing the divestment of some of GuySuCo’s assets, was the new Chairman of the GuySuCo Board. The impression was created that Professor Clive Thomas was no longer performing that function. However, Minister of Finance Winston Jordan later clarified that Thomas remained Chairman as Cabinet had deferred a decision on a replacement. Cabinet documents appointing Heath-London and a new board had been sent out without approval of the full Cabinet and these appointments were to be recalled.