– new board also installed
Financial Analyst, Sasenarine Singh has been appointed to act as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha has announced.
Singh succeeds Dr. Harold Davis Jnr, who was appointed in 2018 as the Chief Executive Officer having served as the Director of Agricultural Services. Singh’s appointment, the Agriculture Minister disclosed, took effect on Monday, September 14, 2020.
Singh holds a Master’s Degree in Finance from Lancaster University, an Executive Post Graduate Diploma from London Business School, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Accountancy from the University of Guyana. He is also a qualified Chartered Accountant (ACCA). “Mr. Singh is a Project Finance Specialist with over 16 years’ experience at turnaround management internationally and possesses tremendous leadership experience at building capacity in teams,” Minister Mustapha said in a statement issued earlier this afternoon.
The Financial Analyst’s appointment comes at a time when the Sugar Industry under the management of GuySuCo is in a deep financial crisis. In an effort to keep the Sugar Corporation afloat, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration has set aside a $5B subvention in the 2020 Budget to supplement the $600M it has already injected into the Industry since taking Office on August 2, 2020.
In an attempt to make the industry more viable, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Administration had “right-size” it by reducing its operations to three Sugar Estates during its five-years reign in Office but the PPP/C has since vowed to reopen them, in keeping with its campaign promise.
Singh, according to the Agriculture Minister, will spearhead the reopening of the Sugar Estates. “Mr. Singh will lead the Conditional Survey ahead of the reopening of the shuttered Enmore, Rosehall, and Albion Estates and is ably supported in this task by Mr. Vishnu Panday – Skeldon, Mr. Aaron Dukhia – Rose Hall, and Dr. N. K Gopaul – East Demerara Estates (Enmore),” the Agriculture Minister disclosed.
In addition to Singh’s appointment, a new Board of Directors for GuySuCo has been appointed by the Irfaan Ali Administration. GuySuCo’s Board of Directors will be chaired by Pravinchandra Dave, according to the Official Gazette. Other members approved by the Cabinet include Anthony Vieira – the Vice Chairman, Ramesh Persaud, Tarachand Balgobin, Ray Hanoman, Shamira Evans, Shaleeza Shaw, Paul Cheong (Ex-Officio), Mohamed Rafeek and Desmond Sears.
