The Ministry of Agriculture faced a number of questions today in the National Assembly as opposition parliamentarians scrutinized its use of $643.69 million from the Contingency Fund. In defending its actions, the ministry said it was used to help the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) in compensating its workforce.
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha explained to the Committee of Supply that the funds were utilized for various purposes, including $383 million for wages, $172 million for salaries, and $88 million for pension payments.
The Committee of Supply in reviewing Financial Paper 4 of 2023, which details $1.899 billion already used from the Contingency Fund, raised questions about the government’s actions.
Responding to queries from APNU+AFC Member of Parliament (MP) Vinceroy Jordan, Minister Mustapha clarified that the reopening of the Rose Hall Estate justified the additional subvention. He emphasized, “We reopened Rose Hall Estate (and) Rose Hall Estate is now producing sugar and we have employed a total of 543 new employees and we employed these people because of the mechanization programme. We have started and I must also say, those persons are also from the area of Rose Hall, who were severed when the factory was closed.”
Mustapha also addressed allegations from the opposition that the government failed to pay GuySuCo workers in November.
Despite receiving a $5 billion subvention for 2023, the opposition a few weeks ago had claimed the corporation could not meet its payroll. It demanded transparency from the government regarding GuySuCo’s payment issues.
In a statement, they insisted that the government disclose reasons for the corporation’s delayed payment of wages, salaries, and pensions.
“Considering the recent developments surrounding the payment of wages and salaries at the state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), the Parliamentary Opposition, the APNU+AFC, demands that the government of Guyana and the Minister of Agriculture come clean with the entire population and give reasons why GuySuCo has failed to prepare and make timely payment of wages, salaries, and pension to its workers,” the opposition said.
Mustapha countered, stating that all monthly and weekly wages were disbursed and condemned the opposition allegations as mere propaganda.
The government is also seeking $2 billion in supplementary funding for GuySuCo.
