Opposition Member of Parliament Vinceroy Jordan is calling on President Irfaan Ali to order an investigation into alleged leakage and wastage at Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) factories, arguing that billions of dollars in public investment cannot continue without answers over operational failures and accountability.
Jordan, an A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) MP with responsibility for agriculture, raised the alarm following the circulation of two recent videos which he said show significant leakage at GuySuCo factories.
The allegations contained in the videos have not been independently verified, and Jordan did not provide an estimate of the quantity or value of any product allegedly lost. He nevertheless said the images warrant an immediate investigation.
“Billions of taxpayers’ dollars have been pumped into GuySuCo for production, maintenance, rehabilitation and modernisation—yet we continue to see factory failures, poor performance and now disturbing images of major leakage and wastage.”
Jordan said the incidents raise questions about how much was allegedly lost, when management became aware of the problem, whether repairs were ordered and what action was taken.
Billions Pumped Into Sugar Industry
The controversy comes against the backdrop of substantial government spending on the sugar industry.
Budget 2024 provided $6 billion to GuySuCo to improve production and operational efficiency, including continued mechanisation and rehabilitation works.
Another $13.3 billion was budgeted in 2025 to support and rehabilitate the industry. Government subsequently budgeted $13.4 billion for 2026, including plans to replace three sugar boilers, procure five cane harvesters, construct a billet-cane conveyor system at Albion and acquire additional sugar dryers for Rose Hall and Uitvlugt.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha separately disclosed that an $8.4 billion GuySuCo subvention in the 2026 Budget was allocated mainly to wages and salaries, with the remainder covering fuel, lubricants, essential materials and supplies, and contractors.
Despite that support, GuySuCo ended 2025 with production of approximately 59,200 tonnes, below even its reduced 60,000-tonne target. The original target had been 80,000 tonnes before being revised downward. GuySuCo later said production had nevertheless increased by 26.5 per cent compared with 2024 and attributed some of its difficulties to prolonged rainfall and labour shortages.
President Ali himself expressed dissatisfaction with the corporation’s performance in January, warning that accountability would be enforced at estate level where production targets were not achieved.
Jordan Wants Answers From Mustapha, Management
Jordan said he has repeatedly raised concerns about management, maintenance, factory performance and GuySuCo’s inability to achieve production targets.
“These concerns cannot continue to be ignored. President Ali must act.”
He called on Ali to instruct Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha to produce a detailed report covering Albion, Uitvlugt, Blairmont and any other factory where leakage or operational failures have occurred.
Jordan said the report should disclose how much product was lost, the financial value of the losses, expenditure on maintenance and repairs, when the problems were first identified and who was responsible for correcting them.
He also wants GuySuCo to explain what management did following the recent incidents and whether anyone has been held accountable.
“The Government cannot continue to ask taxpayers to provide billions of dollars while remaining silent when valuable resources are being wasted.”
Jordan added:
“Money without accountability is not management. Investment without results is not reform.”
The APNU parliamentarian called on the President to order an investigation and said Mustapha and GuySuCo’s management must account to the public.
“President Ali must order the investigation. Minister Mustapha must account. GuySuCo management must answer. And where negligence or failure is established, those responsible must be held accountable.”
GuySuCo remains one of Guyana’s most politically and economically significant state-owned enterprises. The PPP/C administration has made its revival a central policy since returning to office in 2020, reopening Rose Hall Estate and investing heavily in factory rehabilitation, mechanisation and expanded value-added production.
The latest allegations now place renewed attention on whether those investments are translating into improved factory reliability, higher production and greater accountability across the corporation.
