Jagdeo calls on gov’t to do sugar feasibility study
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday contended that the results of a feasibility study into the sugar industry would differ from what the government is telling the citizens of the country, that is that the sugar industry is no longer profitable.
Jagdeo told hundreds of Berbicians at a public meeting which was held in Adelphi Village, East Canje that a feasibility, diversification and social impact study is necessary at this point in time. “If you look at a feasibility study for sugar, you will see the contribution that sugar makes to gross domestic product, the contribution to foreign currency earnings and foreign currency stability, the taxes that sugar workers pay, the sum of money they spend on drainage and irrigation, the linkages with other sectors in the communities, that the subsidies that we give now transitionally for a short period to sugar would be
far less than the contribution of sugar to the economy”, said Jagdeo. He continued, “... But they will not do that study because if they do that study it will disprove all that they are saying that sugar is not profitable”. According to the former president, if the government of the day is genuinely concerned about the nation’s people, they would opt to conduct the study.
“If they were genuinely concerned they would do a diversification study, they would look at a social impact study to say how are we going to find alternative jobs for the 10,000 people who are going to lose their jobs at the end of the year”.
He stressed, that the government should not make a decision that will drastically affect the lives of 17,000 people, and cost 10,000 of them to lose their jobs based on four years of profit and loss statements for an industry of such a nature.
The government has signalled plans to close the Rose Hall and East Demerara factories and to privatize the Skeldon estate. It has already shut sugar operations at the Wales estate.