The Government of Guyana (GoG) has announced that it making moves to install a Board of Director (BoD) at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). This announcement comes on the heels of concerns raised by the Guyana Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) over the board’s non-appointment.
State Minister, Joseph Harmon told media operatives at a news conference earlier today, the discussions have already begun.
“The Minister of Agriculture has given some indication as to where that is. Cabinet would like to see the board in place. In fact, it’s important for good corporate governance,” he said.
Harmon explained that the government will be looking to install a board that is “forward-looking” and one that is not just comprised of persons who may just have had some experience in the sugar industry.
“It requires more now. In the current environment, you need a mix of persons who have the expertise in that area and of course of persons who can look forward to see where we’re going to take this industry , how we intend to focus on the other value-added products etc,”
Quizzed on if the Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder would have been given a timeline to appoint the board, Harmon replied, “Discussions are ongoing. I can’t say that he has actually been given a timeframe but I think he understands also, the necessity of having a board,”
Concerns were raised last month by GAWU over the non-appointment of the board.
The Union labelled the current state of affairs as “troubling”. The Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo had also weighed in on the issue, questioning if the absence of the board was intentional. With no board in place, Jagdeo asked who was making decisions for GuySuCo. The life of the previous board came to an end in February of this year.