Skeldon Sugar Factory chimney collapsed on Sunday night amid a management shake-up at GUYSUCO aimed at improving sugar production which has fallen to abysmal levels recently leading many commentators and citizens to believe that sugar’s glory days are behind in the past.
The sugar industry has been ailing for years under the ruling People Progressive Party (PPP) which promised to revitalize the industry since returning into office on August 2, 2020.
Over $35 billion dollars have been plugged into the industry over the last three years and production has only worsened. With a $4 billion injection into GUYSUCO with the passage of last week’s budget and a management reshuffle, the government is hoping to change its fortunes.
It is not yet known what caused the collapse of the Skeldon chimney. The Skeldon Sugar Factory itself had over $200 million USD poured into it during the last tenure of the PPP and it is yet to live up to being a “transformational project” as it was touted.
Former Auditor General Anand Goolsaran has listed the Skeldon Sugar Factory as a failed project which cost the people of Guyana billions of dollars. In a recent Stabroek News Editorial, the newspaper declared, “No, GuySuCo will not “become profitable again”, as Minister Mustapha proclaimed.”
