By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — President Irfaan Ali has signalled that management changes are coming at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), saying underperformance at some estates will not continue to be tolerated and that rationalisation at the senior management and head-office level may be necessary.
Speaking at a press conference last Friday, the President said his administration remains committed to investing in the sugar industry, but made clear that continued poor performance will be met with action.
“You’ll definitely see action on some of these estates that have not performed,” Ali said.
What the President Said
The President said the Government has moved beyond discussion about the future of the sugar industry and is now preparing to act where estates have failed to deliver.
“I agree at some estates there must be — especially at the senior management level, and the head office, and these places — some rationalisation,” he said.
According to Ali, the changes could focus on senior management at the estate level and at GuySuCo’s head office operations, with the aim of strengthening efficiency and improving production across the Corporation’s active estates.
Jordan: The President Has Said This Before
A Partnership for National Unity Member of Parliament Vincenroy Jordan, asked to respond to the President’s comments, said the announcement should not be taken at face value — because, in his assessment, Ali has made the same commitment before without following through.
“No one should take the President at his word because he has reneged on three separate occasions,” Jordan said. “This is his third year running.”
Jordan said that over the past three years, the President has variously said that heads would roll, that GuySuCo’s management would be held accountable, and that reform and a shake-up were coming — and that none of those commitments materialised.
HGP Nightly News was unable to independently verify Jordan’s claim that equivalent commitments were made in each of the past three years.
Background
GuySuCo has been under sustained financial and operational pressure for more than a decade. Under the APNU+AFC administration (2015-2020), several sugar estates were closed and thousands of workers were retrenched as the government reduced the state’s role in the industry. The PPP/C government, which returned to office in 2020, has committed to reviving GuySuCo — reopening some estates, restoring employment, and investing in production capacity. The Corporation remains a significant employer in sugar-producing regions of Guyana and a long-standing symbol of the country’s agricultural identity.
The President’s comments come as GuySuCo continues to face questions about production performance and the return on continued state investment in the industry.
