CHAIRMAN of the All Island Jamaica Cane Farmers Association Allan Rickards has attributed the delay in the signing of Government’s multi-million-dollar sugar divestment deal to a lack of discipline.

“Work that should have been done was not done, or was not done on a timely basis,” Rickards said, regarding the signing of Government’s sugar divestment deal with Brazilian firm Infinity Bio-Energy (IB).

However, Rickards, who was addressing Thursday’s luncheon meeting of the Rotary Club of New Kingston at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, did not say exactly what were the tasks that were not carried out.

“Indiscipline is rampant at both worker and management levels and in all facets of Jamaican life,” he said.

He added that a sub-culture of indiscipline was at the root of ills in the sugar industry, which itself has been a microcosm of the society.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding, in August, announced that a transfer of Sugar Company of Jamaica assets to the Brazilian company and redundancy payments to sugar workers would be complete by September 30.

But on the day of the scheduled pay-out Government was forced to embarrassingly announce that an agreement was not signed, spawning speculations about the soundness of the deal and Government’s ability to pay the workers.

The sale to IB includes five sugar factories and the Petrojam ethanol plant at Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston.

Meanwhile, Rickards blasted Newport Fersan’s announcement that it would be importing cheaper fertiliser.

“Just as Government is about to bring in the fertiliser in two weeks, to coincide with the arrival of that fertiliser international conditions have changed so much that they (Fersan) can now reduce prices (also) in two weeks,” Rickards said.

Government in August announced it would be importing cheaper fertiliser because of the ‘high’ price for the commodity at Newport Fersan, the only local manufacturer.

“Over the past two years we have seen an increase in fertiliser over 200 per cent, and nearly 300 per cent in the case of certain grades,” said Rickards. “Every month there has been an increase.the increase in March this year over February was 41 per cent,” said Rickards.

Newport Fersan’s general manager John Allen was said to be unavailable when attempts were made to reach him on Thursday.