By Mark DaCosta- In a statement, Sherwin C. Benjamin, General Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), asserted that President Irfaan Ali’s call for the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) to take over the management of a sugar estate reflects a profound admission of the government’s failures. Benjamin’s remarks were published on the official Facebook page of the PNCR on June 24, 2026, highlighting a growing concern that the current administration lacks a coherent strategy for revitalising the sugar industry.

The controversy arises from President Ali’s public invitation to GAWU after he acknowledged the struggles of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) in meeting its production targets. Benjamin questioned the logic behind shifting management responsibilities to a trade union when the government has already invested vast sums into this sector, yet has failed to achieve success. He challenged the public to consider why the administration believes that an organisation representing workers could rectify issues that have persisted under government oversight.

Benjamin pointed out the troubling historical ties between the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and GAWU, suggesting that the entangled political relationships complicate the narrative. He noted that the former GAWU President had served in Parliament with the PPP, a fact that casts doubt on the impartiality of any management decisions made by GAWU. The General Secretary’s remarks underscore a critical disaffection with the government’s approach, arguing that if GAWU possesses the solutions to GuySuCo’s problems, then it should already be influencing the corporation’s direction through its representation on the Board-of-Directors of the company.