More recently, talk of re-opening the closed estates has gained traction. We of the GAWU consider this a worthwhile attempt to address the heartless injustice that has been perpetuated in the sugar belt. We know too that the suggestion is ridiculed by the Administration and its minions who appear to be intent on keeping the estates closed for some reason. Of course, for us, the question is why? Is it to inflict further punishment or to perpetuate impoverishment? Or, is there something more sinister afoot? The sugar estates we know possess valuable and fertile land holdings. Already, we have learnt that the lands at Wales Estate have been distributed to individuals and organisations though there was not even an invitation to allow ex-workers and other interested Guyanese to apply to utilize the lands for economic ventures. We understand that a similar plan is unfolding along the East Coast. This information coincides with the intention of GuySuCo to dismantle the Enmore packaging plant and to remove certain components of the Enmore factory to be used in one of the operable estates.
We wish to remind that the estates were more than just producers of sugar and molasses; they were the hive of activities for several villages and represented a beacon of sustenance and hope for very many. Apart from being major employers, the estates operation ensured that villages were drained thus preventing sickness and diseases and which supported local farming activities. The consumption activities by sugar workers and their families sustained many businesses and vendors. Workers NIS deductions contributed to the viability of the Scheme. Rates and taxes payments to local authorities allowed those bodies to fulfill their mandates. The export from the industry brought in valued and valuable foreign exchange and assisted us to pay for our imports. These are among the several factors that the Administration disregarded, or palpably ignored, when it decided to close those estates.
