Minister for Sugar Charan Jeath Singh has described the unnecessary dismantling and sale of the Penang sugar mill for $300,000 as outright daylight robbery, while emphasising the significance of the new Rakiraki sugar mill.
“The entire Penang mill was sold by the Bainimarama government and Khaiyum government for $300,000 dollars as scrap, what a daylight robbery that is,” he said.
“Today, to establish a mill of that magnitude, and size will cost you $250million.
“Let it be known to the people of this country, that Penang mill was not supposed to be dismantled, but with just a mere cost of $10million, they (previous government) could have restarted the mill.”
Mr Singh also addressed the constant calls for the re-establishment of the mill.
“It’s not a match-box factory, it’s a mill.
“I’m telling you one thing, people are forgetting the history, what has happened in the yesteryears but yes, through the determination, agreement of the Minister of Finance, and other parties involved, this will put our mill back.”
Mr Singh said he and other government stakeholders met a number of Chinese investors who had agreed to fully fund the construction of a new mill in Rakiraki.
“We know that these Chinese companies have placed hope that they will set up a totally new mill in Rakiraki, at their own cost, 100 per cent without government assistance.
“That is something that the Deputy Prime Minister and the Prime Minister had pledged as part of the next step prior to elections, that the Rakiraki mill has to be established and we have got these Chinese company investors.”
Mr Singh said all necessary processes of assessment would be carried out beforehand.
“The landowners of Rakiraki are more than happy to make sure that they can provide land to Chinese investors who will try and do farming and sustainable farming that will sustain the sugar industry in Rakiraki.”
