Phillips declares PNP has plan to revive sugar
Published:Monday | August 24, 2020 | 12:55 AM
President of the People’s National Party (PNP), Dr Peter Phillips, has promised the cane-dependent constituency of Clarendon South East to revive the sugar industry as he accused the Andrew Holness administration of causing bitterness in the lives of those it feeds.
Clarendon South East is home to the mothballed Monymusk Sugar Estate.
Phillips was in the constituency last week as he toured with PNP candidate Patricia Duncan Sutherland.
“There is probably no other constituency that has been more affected by the mismanagement of the Jamaica Labour Party than South East Clarendon. When you look at the sugar industry, when we started out in 2016, we told them that sugar needed some special attention. In their arrogance, dem seh dem have it covered,” Phillips told supporters at a stop in Free Town in the constituency.
“The end result is that the whole industry mash up down yah.”
ECONOMIC FALLOUT
The Monymusk factory was shuttered after the 2017-18 crop season.
The PNP had urged the Government to rethink its decision to close Monymusk, warning that thousands of persons depended on the $34-million fortnightly pay bill. Its closure, the party said, would result in significant economic fallout.
The PNP president said that the Holness administration has caused the destruction of the sugar-cane industry with the closure of Appleton Estate in St Elizabeth and the Golden Grove Sugar Factory in St Thomas.
“We believe that it can be revived! We have the plan, and we can fix it,” declared Phillips.
A supporter retorted: “You can fix it!”
The PNP president did not give any details on his sugar-revival plan.