Natural Resources Minister says sugar industry employs all ethnicities – refutes opposition’s claims

Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat said that the government is building back sugar
because it is benefitting all Guyanese. Bharrat chided the opposition APNU+AFC on its claims
that financial support is only given to the industry, because only one ethnicity is employed there.
As the minister defended the $552.9B national budget in the National Assembly, he said on
Thursday; “…but that is a figment of their imagination.”  Bharrat noted that such statements
should not be used to gain political points.
“If you look at the work force, GuySuCo is very diverse. Sugar workers are not one race only,
every Guyanese of all race works at GuySuCo, but there is this perception in their heads that
only one set of people work with GuySuCo and that is why the PPP is putting money in
GuySuCo,” Bharrat said.
The minister stressed that the opposition should cease from the fallacies it continues to peddle.
“Mr. Speaker, they need to go and check the order lines. It is Guyanese of all walks of life that
work at GuySuCo and that is why we are building back sugar, because it is benefitting Guyana
and Guyanese,” he said.
He declared that the government has been making significant strides to turn around the sugar
industry’s field and factory operations. It is against this backdrop that some $6B has been
allocated to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) this year. The minister said that in
anticipation of improved production levels, GuySuCo will be concentrating its marketing efforts
on shifting from the low-value bulk-sugar markets to more bagged and packaged sugar products.
He added that over 5,000 sugar workers who were severed from their jobs during the
APNU+AFC Coalition’s time in government received cash grants of $250,000 in 2021. About
1,300 persons have been reemployed with GuySuCo and are now able to provide a livelihood for
their families. Bharrat spoke of the remarkable contributions government has made since
assuming office on August 2, 2020, which he believes, contributed to the lives of all citizens.
“It pains me, Mr. Speaker, because it is not true. Is it that only one set of children will get the
cash grant? Is it only one set of people will go to the six new hospitals that we are going to
build? Mr. Speaker, is it one set of people that will benefit from the local content legislation? Mr.
speaker all Guyana will benefit,” Bharrat said.