Speaking at concurrent media engagements President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo told the public that Guyana’s sugar industry is viable but presented very different strategies for the continued operation of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).
Speaking with radio personality Stan Gouveia, Granger declared that the actions taken by his government were intended to reform the sugar industry and maintained that because of this the industry will in the medium term, three to five years, be the most sustainable sugar industry in the English speaking Caribbean region.
“All we have done is to ensure that three mega estates are protected. The idea is not to shut down the industry it is to reform the industry; bring production to about 147,000 tonnes, maintain a labour force that is as large as necessary and keep the sugar industry alive,” the President explained, adding that while it was unfortunate that persons had to be laid off he is encouraged by what he is seeing at those estates which are currently operational especially Albion.
