Georgetown: The GuySuCo Commission of Inquiry members headed by its Chairman Mr. Vibert Parvatan Monday handed over the finding and recommendations on the way forward for the sugar industry.
The documents were handed over by the Chairman to Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. George Jervis in Ministry of Agriculture’s large Boardroom, Regent and Shiv Chanderpaul Drive office.
The COI members over the past three months guided by Terms of Reference deliberated on the future of the Sugar industry, through the development of a 15-year plan which is expected to bring the industry back to profitability.
Mr. Parvatan noted that in going forward, the recommendations by the eleven-member Commission will ensure long-term environmental and economic sustainability.
“We (Commission) are pleased to have completedthe study which took into account critical issues and major constraints affecting the industry….the COI team remains thankful to the many organizations and people who assisted the work of the Commission,” Mr. Parvatan said.
Among the works carried out by the Commission over the past 3-months included,investigation of the current state of cane cultivation, factory operations, production and marketing of sugar, molasses and other by-products.
Emphasis was also placed on human resource capabilities, research and development, diversification of the industry, community obligations, weather events, marketing, finance, procurement, factory performance and management.
Permanent Secretary, Mr. George Jervis lauded the effort of the Commission, describing the members as competent in pronouncing on the future of the sugar industry.
The Members of the Commission of Inquiry were: Mr. Vibert Parvatan (Chairman), Prof. Clive Thomas (Financial and Economic Analysis), Dr. Harold Davis and Mr. John Piggot (Agronomists), Mr. John Dow and Mr. Joseph Alfred (Factory Operations), Mr. George James (Sugar Processing), Mr. NowrangPersaud (Industrial Relations), Mr. Claude Housty (Marketing), Mr. SeepaulNarine, GAWU Representative and Mr. OmadattChandan who served as the Commission’s Secretary.
The document will now be handed over the Hon. Noel Holder, Minister of Agriculture (who is presently in Cancun Mexico on official business), after which it will be present to Cabinet for further deliberations.
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