Days after a senior party member suggested that the sugar industry could be shut down under an APNU-led government, the coalition has issued an official statement seeking to clarify its position: GUYSUCO, they now say, is here to stay.In the statement released on Friday, June 27, the APNU Coalition reaffirmed what it called its “official position” on the future of GUYSUCO.
The party emphasized that it has “absolutely no intention of closing down GUYSUCO and abandoning sugar.” Instead, the coalition outlined a plan to diversify and modernize the sugar industry, pledging to keep all estates open and expand operations into new areas such as ethanol production, livestock feed, bagasse board manufacturing, and electricity generation.
“Much potential also exists where the sugar cane plant itself can be utilised to produce not only raw and processed sugar but also ethanol, livestock feed, bagasse board, and the cogeneration of electricity,” the statement read.
The clarification appears aimed at walking back comments made by Leon Saul during the APNU’s campaign launch over the weekend. Saul had sparked concern among sugar workers and stakeholders by declaring the coalition would “close GUYSUCO once and for all” — a line that triggered swift backlash and revived memories of past estate shutdowns.
The coalition’s Friday statement notably made no mention of Saul’s comments but presented a sharply different vision. It promised no closures, no layoffs, and a push toward job creation and improved working conditions.
“With these reforms, a new GUYSUCO will attract more workers as compensation, job opportunities, and working conditions improve,” the party stated. The APNU also outlined its intention to explore additional ventures alongside sugar, including aquaculture, food crops, manufacturing, and housing development.
While the official message now emphasizes renewal, the contradiction between Saul’s weekend remarks and the coalition’s formal policy has left some observers questioning whether the party is united on the issue.
Still, the party insists that its direction is clear. “The APNU Coalition remains committed not only to the survival of GUYSUCO but to its expansion and profitability,” the statement concluded.
Whether this latest assurance is enough to calm fears among workers and voters remains to be seen. For now, the coalition is asking the public to focus on its plan for a “new GUYSUCO,” not the missteps of a weekend speech.
