His Excellency President David Granger on Friday, January 31, 2020 announced the establishment of the State Land Resettlement Commission, which he explained, will give the ex-sugar workers of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) who were affected by the downsizing of sugar estates another chance.
“We are going to establish a State Land Resettlement commission so that persons who have been out of work because they have been in the sugar plantation will be given access to lands so that they could start over again,” he told a West Coast Demerara rally at the Leonora Track and Field ground.
Supporters at the Coalition Rally, Leonora Region 3
The Wales sugar estate on the West Bank of the Demerara in Region Three was one of four sugar estates identified for restructuring over the last few years.
According to the President, the administration had to make a “difficult decision, but we thought hard and long,” especially since the industry in Region Three needed to be preserved and protected.
“We did not do this uncaringly. We know the problem. Sugar cannot be sold on the world market at the cost that it is being produced at Wales. But we did not throw Wales under the bus. We amalgamated Wales with Uitvulgt. And many of the persons in Wales have gotten jobs in Uitvulgt,” the Head of State mentioned.
The Head of State reminded that the problems facing the sugar industry started under the previous administration and made mention of the more than 5000 workers that were sent home by the PPP between 1992 and 2015.
