Large audience attends Guyana Day at Toronto forum

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry hosted a Guyana Day seminar on Monday at the Prospectors and Developers Association Conference in Toronto, Canada for investors, prospectors, and financiers in the extractive industries.

The forum attracted a large number of stakeholders for the various minerals sub- sectors. In a release, the ministry said the forum was attended by persons who are working or seeking to invest in the mining industries around the world. The seminar at the PDAC proved to be one of the most successful events for Guyana over the years at the annual mining convention which attracts more than 40,000 participants on average.
The seminar, led by a Guyanese delegation, was headed by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud, along with Guyana Geology and Mines Commission Assistant Commissioner Newell Dennison, and Natural Resources and Environment Ministry senior policy analyst/ adviser Bobby Gossai Jr.
Minister Persaud delivered the keynote address and also made a presentation on the investment opportunities in the extractive industries in the local economy.
The minister noted that the main objective of the forum is to highlight the performance of Guyana’s mineral development and the friendly business procedures for ensuring sustainable mining practices.
He pointed out that there are challenges in governing the minerals industry, but the government of Guyana is ensuring an enabling environment by working with all stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.
At the same time, during his presentation, the minister noted that Guyana is also working to develop the bauxite and manganese sub-sectors.
In addition, it was also highlighted that the oil and gas sector is in the initial stages of development and as such the governments of Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding for technical cooperation on the transfer of skills and technology to develop the hydrocarbon sectors and renewable energy between the two counties.
The forum was also attended by the High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana, David Devine, who stated that the governments of Guyana and Canada have had a good working relationship in promoting investment in Guyana and currently there are 34 Canadian mining companies working on various stages of mineral development in Guyana.
The high commissioner also highlighted that there are two Canadian educational and training institutions working with the ministry and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission to offer various courses through the Guyana Mining School and Training Centre Inc.