First-time miners given preference in GGMC lottery

The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) recently favoured first-time miners in its award of properties at an auction and lottery at the Girl Guides Pavilion.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release twelve miners were awarded slots at Coomacka West and 23 were granted properties at Coomacka North. The property is situated 100 miles up the Demerara River near the Omai Gold Mines Limited site.

More than 200 cancelled medium-scale blocks were to be given out the next day. Manager of the GGMC’s Services Kampta Persaud told GINA that this category was one which GGMC had repossessed because of the failure of the former occupants to pay or because they had abandoned the location.

GGMC was also accepting applications for prospecting permits for blocks near the Great Falls, located 165 miles up the Demerara River, and Mara Mara in Region Seven. The process will continue until July 14 where a closed auction will be held in the event of multiple applications for any block.

GINA said that until September 23, Barima Head and Ianna in the North West District will be open for claim locations for persons without mineral properties. Two of Omai’s licences were relinquished over a year ago and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who also holds the portfolio for mining, had ordered the GGMC to grant access to small blocks on the land for interested miners. The property was then sectioned into 180 blocks by surveyors who were contacted by the GGMC. The process was concluded in December.

The first lottery for the property was held in February and saw some 60 applicants. The awardees are now required to submit an application which entails paying an application fee and a rental. Persaud explained that an environmental bond of about $100,000 will be charged before the miner can obtain his/her permit. He said the objective of the exercise is to provide opportunities for all categories of miners particularly those looking for the chance to start mining for the first time. However, he also stressed the importance of environmental sustainability which miners are obligated to uphold under the mining law.