What’s Going on at the S.C.P.C. – is Politics at Play?
So, as you heard just now, Naim Cal is out from the Sugar Cane Production Committee. But who will replace him? That’s what we asked the chair of the Sugar Industry Control Board today. But this termination, as we told, is not the first. On the day the crop started at the end of December, the previous manager Eloy Ack was also fired on the spot. Days after Ack was fired, four S.C.P.C. team members tendered their resignation. But there are concerns in some quarters about what has been happening recently. They say that some committee members were taken aback by this latest termination and there appeared to have been no consultation on the matter. Some say that even the hiring process has become muddled.
Andrea Polanco
“Has a replacement been identified for Mr. Cal?”
Marcos Osorio, Chairman, Sugar Industry Control Board
“That is in process and very soon that will happen.”
Marcos Osorio
Andrea Polanco
“Mr. Osorio, before Mr. Cal was terminated – Mr. Ack was there and he was terminated – replaced by Mr. Cal and now Mr. Cal has been terminated – is this an indication there that there is a larger issue with that post and what takes place?”
Marcos Osorio
“Well, I think there have always been issues. It is a critical post, yes, indeed but it is critical that we need a very strong minded person that can operate on how own and make critical decisions, not allowing to be manipulated and when these things happen of manipulation or control by one or two quarters there needs to be a decision.”
Andrea Polanco
“Is there any involvement of politics in what has happened? Is there any political figure moving things – having some sort of influence in terms of what has transpired?”
Marcos Osorio
“I will say no because maybe there could have been political recommendations for the post, but there after as we had discussed at the beginning, it is the person who needs to ensure to retain the job. The politician, or minister, or however you look at it, will not get involved in terms of ensuring that the person remain there.”
We attempted to get a response from ousted manager Naim Cal, but our calls went unanswered.
