On Tuesday, sugar workers from across the country received payments in keeping with the government’s one-off $100,000 cash grant for Guyanese citizens 18 years and older.
Agriculture Minister Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha spearheaded the distribution exercise at the Uitvlugt Estate in Region Three where over 1,300 sugar workers benefited from the grant.
While addressing the workers, Minister Mustapha said the distribution represents another commitment made by the government to improve the lives and spending power of citizens. He also said while GuySuCo did not reach its targets, the government remains committed to ensuring the sector is restored.
“This morning, you will receive another form of empowerment from the government. Not so long ago, just over four years ago, many persons thought GuySuCo and sugar itself had died. But I want to tell you all, that thanks to this government, sugar is alive and we will ensure sugar doesn’t die. We all know that at one time, the earnings from sugar were responsible for all the wealth and development that took place in this country. However, the industry started to experience challenges when we had the 36% cut in our preferential market by the European Union. The industry suffered a further decline when the PPP/Civic left office in 2015,” he noted.
Minister Mustapha also told those present that management and workers will have to work together to ensure production improves and targets are achieved. He also said while people may criticize the government for investing in the industry, thousands of persons, over 7,000 persons, directly and indirectly, benefit from the sector.
“When we left office in 2015, many estates were neglected. There was no investment, repairs, or recapitalization in the industry. We saw a decline in cultivation which is affecting production now. But, as a government, we know the importance of the sugar industry. It is the largest corporation in the country and many people and their families depend on the GuySuCo. We have been making the necessary investments to ensure we mechanize, and recapitalize the industry so that production can improve. I am confident that we will be able to break even and later on, become profitable,” Minister Mustapha added.
