Chinese hit hard by realities in local sugar industry
GEORGE HONG Guo, deputy chief executive officer of Pan Caribbean Sugar Company (PCSC), said despite conducting an intense feasibility study on the local sugar sector, his firm was not prepared for the realities that they have had to face over the past seven years.
According to Hong Guo, who was a member of the Chinese delegation that negotiated the 2010 divestment of Bernard Lodge, Monymusk and Frome estates with the Government, there has not been any significant i mprovement i n relations between locals and his compatriots.
“When we did our investigation or feasibility study at that time, we saw the good and bad of the industry,” Hong Guo told The Gleaner recently. “A lot of undeveloped fields and poor irrigation systems, but on the other hand, there was over 200 years of sugar history and continuous operation of the two factories. In comparison to our African operation, it was very attractive, but we have now found that the true story is not so.”
CULTURE BARRIER
He continued, “We have employed different strategies to improve relations between Chinese and locals, but it will take some time before we are able to relate at an acceptable level. It is easy to say hello, but not easy to understand the culture, but we know that without local employees, especially some of the senior local management, we would not have achieved what we have
LIU CHAOYU
achieved so far.”
The Chinese became the largest local sugar manufacturer following its US$9-million divestment deal with the Jamaican Government in 2009. It subsequently invested more than US$260 million to renovate the factories and fields at Frome and Monymusk.
However, despite its massive investment, the PCSC had to endure a tumultuous relationship with Jamaicans until the appointment of the experienced Liu Chaoyu to head the PCSC at the start of the last crop.
Liu, who comes with more than 20 years’ experience in management of sugar operations, particularly in Africa, took the top job with a mandate to rebalance relations with all the groups with which PCSC’s operations intersect; roll out a comprehensive outreach programme to benefit the communities along the local sugar belts; and initiate a programme to teach locals the language and customs of China.
“The culture barrier does exist, including our language, and this is making the communication between our people difficult at times, but we believe it is important to combat this,” Liu recently told The Gleaner.