Over $9Billion already injected into Rose Hall sugar estate for its revitalization

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha revealed to the Parliamentary Committee of Supply today that the Government has injected $9 Billion into the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to resuscitate the Rose Hall Estate, which was closed down under the former Government.

“They caused it! The closed the estate! They caused it to rot. They caused the deterioration of the estate. They caused thousands of lives and families to be broken up in this country, and they have the audacity to come and ask this question. $9B – they caused the people of this country, the caused the tax payers of this country $9B to be spent to rehabilitate and bring back Rose Hall Estate into production. They caused it,” Minister Mustapha said.

The Agriculture Minister, at the time, was responding to a series of questions posed by Opposition Parliamentarian Vinceroy Jordan on the $2B budgeted for the Sugar Corporation to facilitate capital projects.

MP Jordan had also pointed out that in 2023, GuySuCo had also received $3.5B for capital investment, a significant portion of which, was spent on the Rose Hall Estate.

In his response, Minister Mustapha reminded the Committee that the Rose Hall Sugar Estate was among estates closed by the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Administration, and as such, investment in it was critical.

“Mr Chair, like other factories, sugar factories that were left to the mercy of nature, we had to spend a lot of money. So, when the estate was closed, things were left to neglect and a lot of parts deteriorated. We said we would reopen it, and we did reopen it last year. Now, those parts, links like boiler, you would repair the boiler but during the course of grinding you might find a leakage, you would have to repair it,” the Agriculture Minister explained.

Last year, the Government said that the Rose Hall Sugar Estate was poised to make a grand comeback in 2023, but as the Committee of Supply considered the 2024 Budget Estimates, the Agriculture Minister said the Estate produced 1,031 tonnes of sugar when it commenced production late last year.

He said he is optimistic, that this year, the estate will reach the target set by the sugar company.

“Rose Hall Estate is scheduled to commence grinding this year, at the end of February. So, all those arrangements, all the repairs are in process, and will be completed, so that the Rose Hall Estate could commence grinding this year, so that we can work on the target we have set for GuySuCo,” the Agriculture Minister said.

In total, GuySuCo is in line to receive a total subvention of $6B.

The Government has injected more than $30 Billion into GuySuCo since 2020.