Wales laid-off workers need land too — Shyam Balkarran — Opinion

Wales laid-off workers need land too

September 7, 2026·4 min read

Dear Editor,

Thank you for publishing this letter in your widely read news media in Guyana, to remind President Ali and Prime Minister Mark Phillips, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of labour that majority of the Wales Sugar Estate laid off sugar workers are landless agri-workers. And they have applied for land, 5 to 10 acres each, to do farming, chicken, animal rearing, skill training, etc…, but did not get no reply, not even an acknowledgement to their letter and petition. Many of these hard-working sugar workers, have worked with Wales Sugar Estate and GuySuCo for many, many years and are feeling neglected and forgotten, especially by the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Agriculture, GAWU and NAACIE Union.

Editor, it was reported that President Ali said recently in Region # 6, “Poverty reduction is not only about reducing the cost of things,” he said, “It is about investing in you, so you can own things; your businesses, your homes, properties that are increasing in value and have access to the best infrastructure, water, education, and healthcare.” It is also reported that the president said, that his government’s development approach does not provide temporary relief. Instead, the PPP/C focuses on transforming livelihoods, strengthening communities, and ensuring future generations can live with dignity.

This news announcement sounds great, but it appears that the ministers especially from the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Labour are not listening or do not understand what President Ali are saying and want to do for the Guyanese people.

Isn’t Wales Sugar Estate laid-off workers, their families and Livelihood matters too?

Editor, the Wales sugar workers committee representatives and majority of the workers feels, that President Ali and Prime Minister Mark Phillips and the PPP/C led Guyana Government should urgently consider and give some of the Wales Sugar Estate, idle sugar cane land to them and the landless peasant farmers, including the Belle Vue Pilot Scheme landless-farmers that wanted and requested land to do Agriculture farming, chicken and animal rearing, etc, so that these workers can start to be owners, own business and owners of the means of production.

Editor, it was reported, that based on the Wales Estate land survey plan, this closed down Wales Sugar Estate have over nine thousand ( 9,000+) plus acres of idle and abandon sugar cane land. And it was reported that the proposed ‘Wales Gas Project & Gas Power Generating Plant’^[1] that is situated in the area of the Marias Lodge-Free & Easy Village area, on the West Bank of Demerara, Region # 3, will only be using approximately 100 acres of the land, from the Wales Sugar Estate idle sugar cane land, for this gas project and gas generation plant.

It was also reported, that during the last national and regional election campaign, Minister Zulfikar Mustapha went to Vreezeland –Vive Laforce village and promised to give a group of squatters, including non-sugar workers, 200 acres from the Wales Sugar Estate cane land for pasture, in the Potosi North section. Editor, it is reported that some of these squatters have already got over 500 acres of land from the Guyana Government in the Red Wing Polder, Kamuni area. Also in 2026, it is reported that the Guyana Ministry of Housing is in the process, to use some of these idle cane land, in the Vreezeland -Vive Laforce area for a housing development project, with thousands of house lots^[2], not too far from the proposed gas plant and gas generating plan.

Editor, we want President Ali and the Guyanese people to know, that since 2023, the laid off Wales Estate Sugar Workers have followed his public advice and have organised the workers into a group. And elected a workers-farmers’ committee, made up of these Wales Estate Sugar Workers, Kris Budhoo, Etwaroo, M. Hercules, Twaheer, J. Singh, Mohammed, B. Balkarran, S. Gendalall, Tyron and others. And the workers committee collected over 350 to 400 of the laid off Wales Sugar Estate workers names and signatures from Canal # 2 Polder, Toevulgt-Patentia District, Vreezeland, and Viv Laforce-Patosi, that wanted land to do farming, chicken, animal rearing, aquaculture, etc….Then the workers’ committee made copies of the list/petition and delivered one copy each to the Office of the President, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Labour, Office of the Prime Minister, GAWU and NAACIE.

To date none of the workers committee representatives or the workers did not get a call and or a reply from the OP, OPM, the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of labour, and the two sugar workers Unions, GAWU and NAACIE leadership.

These workers and the sugar workers committee, want to know from the two sugar workers unions, especially GAWU president that is a sitting member of parliament-MP, what action, if any that he and GAWU have made or are making to help us the Wales estate laid off sugar workers, to get some of these land for farming, chicken and animal rearing, financial assistance, skills retraining, etc…. Also, how many of these house lots developing within the Wales Sugar Estate land, will be reserved and given to the Wales Estate Sugar Workers, that do not own a house lot and worked with Wales Sugar Estate, five years and over continually and qualify under the SILWF program, for a subsidised house lot.

Editor, the GAWU and NAACIE leadership, must know that these landless, laid off sugar workers, were GAWU and NAACIE union members and supporters that have given donation, paying union dues, through the pay list deduction system to GAWU and NAACIE for many, many years and have Rights.

Thank you.

Yours Respectfully,
Shyam Balkarran – Former GAWU & GCFA member and national Representative for the Wales Estate Workers Committee and the concerned Wales Estate Landless- Agri

References

Press Release: Wales Gas-to-Energy project advancing rapidly – Department of Public Information, Guyana — dpi.gov.gy ↩
Infrastructure works progressing at Wales Truck and Auto Zone - INews Guyana — inewsguyana.com ↩

'Model Village' initiative more than roads & infrastructure upgrade – Pres Ali tells Reg. 5 communities - Guyana Inquirer – Daily Guyana News

guyanainquirer.com · 2026-08-08

Bush Lot, Bath Settlement, and Hopetown along the West Coast of Berbice (WCB) in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) are being positioned for sweeping physical and economic transformation ... the Government’s Model Village Initiative. ... roads and drainage, safer pedestrian spaces, upgraded bridges and utilities, recreational facilities, landscaping and other ... to change both the appearance of the communities and the quality of life of residents. ... But President Dr Irfaan Ali says the ambition goes considerably further than rebuilding physical infrastructure. Addressing residents during consultations on the initiative, Ali said the Government wants communities across the country to experience the level of transformation increasingly visible in the capital and other major development areas. ... The plans being developed for Bush Lot, Bath Settlement and Hopetown form part of the Government’s wider Model Village Initiative, under which communities are being examined not merely in terms of their immediate infrastructure deficiencies but as places where people should be able to live, work, raise families and pursue new economic opportunities. ... The president said creating a modern village requires consideration of its economy and how that community can be integrated into emerging economic opportunities. “We have to look at not only the creation of the modern village but also how the modern village is integrated into modern economies and modern opportunities,” he said. ... Ali also pointed to opportunities that could become available through the proposed Guyana Development Bank, saying officials would return to communities to discuss how financing could be leveraged for community-orientated projects and enterprises. ... “Those are the things that ... modern village speaks to indirectly,” he said. “Because a modern village and what we want to achieve are villages that are sustainable, resilient, villages that are empowering, villages that you want to live in, villages in which there is peace, harmony and dignity.” ... That economic integration, the President suggested, must be accompanied by better planning within communities. ... Across the initiative, attention is being placed on road rehabilitation, concrete drainage, bridges, pedestrian access, street lighting, utility infrastructure, road safety, landscaping, recreational and green spaces and beautification. ... The plans also take account of utility infrastructure, with Guyana Power and Light and the Guyana Water Incorporated expected to coordinate necessary works before major construction begins, avoiding situations in which newly completed infrastructure has to be broken to facilitate utility works. ... Ali said changing communities and changing lifestyles also demand different public infrastructure. ... People are building larger homes and consuming more electricity, and communities themselves are expanding, he observed, making facilities such as properly positioned utility poles and fire hydrants increasingly important. ... Plans presented for the community include 55 fire hydrants, bridge and drainage interventions, public and recreational spaces, beautification and other supporting infrastructure. ... For an agricultural community such as Bath Settlement, the physical transformation is intended to sit alongside the economic opportunities Ali outlined, including moving local agricultural production further along the value chain. ... , too, forms an integral ... with its development being ... functional public spaces ... Ali stressed that ... to residents. ... “That is why we want the community, this consultation; we want the community to be involved in the decision-making,” he said. ... Residents may identify different priorities, he noted, including land that could potentially be developed for agro-processing or other community economic ventures. Those ideas, he said, can be integrated into individual community development plans.

Source

Wales laid-off workers need land too in Kaieteur News, September 7, 2026

Press Release: Wales Gas-to-Energy project advancing rapidly – Department of Public Information, Guyana

dpi.gov.gy · 2026-05-14

-Govt affirms 2026 first power target The 300 MW Wales Gas to Energy project, Guyana’s largest infrastructure initiative to date, is advancing. Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), the Honourable Mark Phillips expressed the view that in recent months the contractor has advance works. ... He noted the ... . “The Wales Gas to Energy project represents ... defining moment for ... and for the energy ... of every citizen of this nation. ... are satisfied with ... anese households and ... Through Guyana’s investment in the 300 MW Gas to Energy (GtE) project, now under accelerated construction, the adaptability of natural gas will be harnessed to transform the power sector. The project aims to reduce electricity costs by 50 per cent and support domestic production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cleaner household cooking. Beyond immediate energy benefits, the GtE project is expected to enhance industrial competitiveness and strengthen the national energy mix. This is complemented by renewable energy ambitions to ensure electricity remains affordable, reliable, and sustainable for all citizens. ... As the largest investment in electricity generation in Guyana’s history, the Wales GtE project is expected to double national generation capacity, improve reliability, reduce fuel imports, stabilise energy costs, and support a 50 per cent reduction in consumer electricity tariffs. Lower energy costs will provide financial relief for households while improving industrial and commercial competitiveness across the economy. ... Importantly, the overall economics of the GtE project remain firmly on track. While the settlement represents a 12.8 percent increase over the original contract sum of $759 M, the Government’s total expenditure for the wider project, comprising the 300 MW power plant, the Natural Gas Liquids facility, transmission works, substations, 230 kV and 69 kV lines, and the new National Control Centre, remains within the a 10 percent contingency of its budget of US$1 B. As such, the GtE plant, the Transmission/Substation project undertaken by KPIL, the new National Control Center (NCC) at Goedverwagting, and all other project related costs funded by GOG, were all budgeted at $1 B based on the published contract price. The overall cost of the is not expected to exceed US$$1.1 B, including the 10% contingency. ... This means that delivery of power to the national grid through Guyana Power and Light Inc. remains on track to reduce consumer electricity tariffs by 50 percent, placing meaningful and lasting financial relief within reach of Guyanese households and businesses. ... Meanwhile, substantial progress has also been recorded in works at the site thus far, with stringent milestones set moving forward following the agreement with Lindsayca Guyana Inc., committed to bringing the first power turbine online by the end of 2026 to be followed by all gas turbines fully commissioned by the first quarter of 2027 and the Combined Cycle operation to be completed by June 2027. Failure to meet these milestones will allow the Government to re-instate liquidated damages against the Contractor. This arrangement reflects prudent project management practice, ensuring that the resources necessary to complete construction are in place. ... The GtE project is not simply about a pipeline and power generation; it is about building the foundation for a diversified, production driven economy. The Wales Development Zone is emerging as one of the most significant centres of industrial activity in the country’s modern history. ... The integration of complementary facilities within the Zone — including the proposed ammonia and urea plant, a gas bottling and logistics facility to deliver affordable LPG directly to households, and a marine storage and offloading facility for natural gas liquids — will collectively create thousands of additional jobs, reduce operational costs, and boost competitiveness across multiple sectors.