Guyana’s sugar industry—once a symbol of national resilience and economic strength—is in a state of freefall. At the center of this accelerating collapse is the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), crippled by mismanagement, political interference, and unchecked spending under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government.
The numbers are stark and indisputable. In 2020, under the A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) administration, GuySuCo produced 88,000 tonnes of sugar—a modest output, yet a sign of potential recovery. But since the PPP’s return to power, the situation has dramatically worsened. Production nosedived to 58,000 tonnes in 2021, dropped further to 47,000 tonnes in 2022, rose slightly to 60,000 tonnes in 2023, and is projected to crash back to just 47,000 tonnes in 2024. For 2025, forecasts show GuySuCo failing to reach even 50,000 tonnes.
The Government has budgeted $13.5 Billion for GuySuco in 2025, with the sum expected to grow before year end.
Evidence suggests the sharp decline in sugar production is not due to droughts, strikes, or global market volatility—it is the direct result of chronic mismanagement, financial irresponsibility, and a staggering lack of accountability by those entrusted with saving the sector.
Financial Black Hole
GuySuCo is drowning in debt. It owes over $800 million to Guyana Power & Light (GPL), $700 million to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), and $300 million to its pension scheme—obligations that affect workers, retirees, and essential public services. Yet, in the face of this financial wreckage, GuySuCo astonishingly spent nearly $59 million on leave passage in 2024. In a year of plunging production and spiraling debt, such spending is not only reckless—it’s indefensible.
Billions Sunk into Rose Hall, with Nothing to Show
The mismanagement extends to the multi-billion-dollar Rose Hall estate revival. Over $9 billion has been funneled into the project, but results are virtually nonexistent. The public was told an audit had been conducted—but rather than engaging an independent professional firm, the audit was reportedly done by a private individual. The findings remain hidden from the public, raising serious questions: What are the authorities trying to conceal? Why has no one been held accountable?
A National Betrayal
This is no longer just about agriculture—it’s about governance, transparency, and justice. The collapse of GUYSUCO under the PPP is not simply a bureaucratic failure; it is a betrayal of thousands of sugar workers and the taxpayers who continue to bankroll its dysfunction.
Analysts have pointed out to salvage the industry there is need for immediate and independent audits of GuySuCo’s finances and operations, along with a complete overhaul of its leadership and management team to restore competence and accountability. They have called on government to ensure full transparency in all expenditures and debt obligations, and put an end to political cronyism by appointing qualified, professional managers based on merit rather than party loyalty.
“GuySuCo does not need another political bailout. It needs reform. It needs accountability. And above all, it needs leadership that puts the livelihoods of Guyanese people above party loyalty and patronage,” one analyst noted.
Until that happens, every dollar spent on GuySuCo is another insult to workers, taxpayers, and the future of the nation’s agriculture.
Tony Vieira, a former director of GuySuCo, has been a vocal critic of the corporation’s management and the broader decline of Guyana’s sugar industry. In 2016, he described his career in sugar as a failure, attributing it to mismanagement and lack of investment. He has consistently argued that the industry is unsustainable under current conditions and has advocated for diversification into other sectors like aquaculture.
In 2024, Vieira intensified his criticism, alleging that PPP administration, under Bharrat Jagdeo, had destroyed the sugar industry. He pointed to the mismanagement of the Skeldon Factory and the hiring of an inexperienced Chief Executive Officer, Sasenarine Singh, as contributing factors to the industry’s decline. Vieira’s assessments have been met with resistance from GuySuCo, which has denied allegations of corruption and defended its management decisions
