Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud has thrown out a public challenge to those who have been criticising his actions regarding the issuance of the Permission for Geological and Geophysical Survey (PGGS) for the New River Triangle area, saying he was willing to debate anyone on the issue as to whether he sold out the country or broke the law.
He made this declaration on Wednesday at the 32nd Guyana Gold and Diamond Mining Association (GGDMA) dinner while addressing the gathering.
Persaud said “… any group, be it the media, environmental group or be it any political party, I am willing to enter into a public debate and let them set it up any place, any time with any one, on all the issues raised because what we have and what we’ve done, we are proud of. Its consistent with our laws and whatever we do in the sector, we do it because it’s in the best interest for Guyana’s development.”
Misrepresentations
The natural resources minister pointed out that there has been a lot of misrepresentations of what is happening in the sector. He said that there are some who still believe that everyone should live in an antagonistic atmosphere and so when persons are in “talks with others over investments, they think you are selling out”.
“When we set about to have broad stakeholder partnership, be it with the mining, environmental community, it is not about compromising our social principles but rather in a society such as ours, it is important that we collaborate, it is important that we build consensus and it is important that we seek to work together, so not because when we open the papers in the morning, I’m not cursing down the mining sector means I’m in bed with the sector, that’s backward thinking,” the minister vented.
Persaud stressed that this is the first and only PGGS in the country where there was a call for a public expression of interest.
He continued that he has been accused of acting in a stealth manner, but refuted it, stating that he cannot do so when everything is in the media and there is an official gazetteer.
The PGGS was granted to the Muri Brazil Ventures Inc, by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to conduct a survey after the company had expressed interest in the area.
