Gov’t to step up action against illegal miners

By Samuel Sukhnandan

As the local gold mining sector continues to blossom, plans are already in place to improve on the current production average and declaration. This is according to the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) President, Patrick Harding.
Harding said that this will be possible, as the association with the help of government and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) plans to tighten up on its enforcement strategy in 2013. This will help to reduce the number of illegal miners, especially non-nationals, particularly Brazilians; operating in Guyana.
“What is planned next year would include enforcement of Brazilians coming under scrutiny,” he stated. The exercise is to have all non-nationals operating in the country registered. Guyana, he said has many borders and has been working to reduce leakages of gold outside of the country; something that stakeholders are deeply concerned about.
The GGDMA president said that government has plans to establish a temporary location of the Guyana Gold Board in Port Kaituma, Region One, to reduce gold being sold outside of Guyana.
“We encourage dealers to service all mining areas…but it’s difficult. I am a miner and to tell me for example I have to leave Monkey Mountain, get a plane and come to Georgetown, and wait on one to go back up, it’s difficult.” He, however, noted that the legal procedures must be followed in that regard.
Meanwhile, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud said on Friday that government is working to clamp down on more illegal mining. Persaud said based on a meeting held earlier this year with non-nationals, particularly Brazilian gold miners, the Home Affairs Ministry, which is mandated to issue work permits to non-nationals, has been moving swiftly to address this issue.

Raids
Earlier before that meeting was organised, the GGMC and police carried out raids on mining camps in the interior, to ensure they are in compliance. Several Brazilians were held and asked to follow the legal procedures for obtaining a work permit. With the launch of Operation El Dorado, Persaud explained that it is working well so far to identify some of the infractions, and this operation will continue.
“We hope that we will see some level of intensification next year in this regard… getting support from all stakeholders.”

Persaud said that it is government’s vision to enhance and expand on legal mining. He noted that this objective can be achieved through the cooperation with all stakeholders, something that people are already showing some willingness towards. This cooperation, he said, will allow the ministry which is a regulating agency, “to get the job done and done effectively”.
Persaud added that the resources are now available to help in this process. “We can work closely in terms of having air access into some areas… we have also been collaborating with the Guyana Police Force to increase its resources and certainly the broadening of other entities to get the job done, is making progress.”