Dear Editor,
I, Vishnu Panday, wish to respond to President Ali’s remarks about the “Panday Syndrome” in the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). For the record, I clarify my roles: I was never the CEO of GuySuCo, but served as Agriculture Director, acted CEO on occasions, and resigned as General Manager of Skeldon Estate in the years 2010 and 2021; in 2024 I resigned as Agriculture Director. I was recalled many times by the government of Guyana for various positions which are as follows:
● 2012 – Consultant.
● 2015 – Member of the Board of Directors.
● 2020 – Estate Manager
● 2022 – Agriculture Director.
For the record, I have never applied to Gov’t/GuySuCo after I resigned in the year 2010 for any position I held thereafter. Let it be known that while I respect the Office of the President, I do not hold the same regard for Mohamed Irfaan Ali as an individual. The president’s statement, “Panday Syndrome of mismanagement must be removed”, lacks content and accountability. I now address the following points:
1) USD$215 million was spent on the Skeldon project – the public deserves transparency on this expenditure.
2) Explain the status of the Skeldon factory rehabilitation as promised by former president Bharrat Jagdeo.
3) The term “Panday Syndrome” deflects attention from the current government’s mismanagement and promises to reopen the shuttered estates – Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon.
4) Cane Farmers Loans: Over $1.4 billion Guyana dollars loaned to farmers from commercial banks.
5) Unrealistic Production Targets: The president directed GuySuCo to produce 100,000 tons of sugar in the year 2024 despite having a budget for 73,000 tons and of greater importance, there was prolonged drought in Guyana which began in the year 2023 and lasted until April 2024.
6) A “selected” contractor was paid $21 million Guyana dollars upfront to import seed canes materials from Brazil, of which only $5 million worth of materials came. The president was instrumental in this transaction.
7) Breach of law: Plant materials were imported without NPPO approval.
8) The said plant materials were disease ridden and was planted at Rose Hall Estate Pokah Beong – fusarium
9) Political interference: The president and his government’s influence led to the Industry’s decline.
10) Sasenarine Singh’s appointment: The CEO, a political appointee, oversaw the decline in sugar production from 88,000 tons in the year 2020 to 47,000 tons in the year 2022, a drop of 41,000 tons in the years 2021 and 2022.
11) Production increased in the year 2023: 60,000 tons were made, that output was managed by me as the Agriculture Director – not the government.
12) Foreign experts: Hundreds of millions were spent on consultants from India and Cuba, and that was in the year 2024 and continued into 2025. From all reports they made no contribution to the industry. The president must answer to that, such spending could have improved the lives of employees within the industry.
13) Reopening estates: Only a part of the Rose Hall estate was opened. Originally, the estate’s cultivation was approximately 6,000 ha. The so-called reopening shows 3,000 ha under cultivation, the cultivation is just enough to crush for 17 weeks which means reduced working days to workers by 35 weeks per year. An estate would normally crush for 32 weeks.
14) The President and his government boasts of putting over $50 billion into the industry since he came into office, in addition during the same period sugar revenue would have brought in another $50 billion. The President must tell the country where and how the monies were managed. Give details on accountability, and how billions are owed to GPL, GWI, NIS, GRA, unions and endless suppliers, both locally and overseas.
THE REAL” SYNDROME
a) A contractor was paid for laser leveling of land that was never done – to the tune of millions of dollars. I wrote the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Minister of Agriculture. Statements were attached in the report.
b) A $14 million drone was paid for since in the year 2022 but was never delivered; the Ogle Aerodrome was occupied for years without full payments by the occupants.
c) All the factories suffered from lack of spares, the agriculture department faced shortages of agro chemicals. The Board and Chairman were well informed, there were no favourable responses.
d) Agronomic policies were altered such as reduced depth of tillage and changing of application rates of Phosphate lime, worsening the crisis in the industry.
The poor management stems from this government’s decisions, including appointments of CEO‘s, Singh and Paul Cheong.
I urge the president to answer these questions transparently and stop peddling excuses such as the “Panday Syndrome” to distract people‘s attention from the real issues facing the sugar industry. Indeed, the political interference will continue to destroy the sugar industry, which from all appearance, it seems the PPP has no interest in the industry’s future.