A lottery of mining lots was held in Bartica, Region Seven yesterday.
The lottery for mining properties organised by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission covered lands from all six mining districts of Guyana, GINA said.
Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud pointed to the complaints received from small miners who use other people’s property. Complaints ranged from land conditions, to royalties, and tributes which must be paid and miners being ejected from the land, GINA said. The Minister also pointed to a lack of access to mining lands, which has led to raiding.
He said that another reason for the auction and lottery is to make the process transparent.
He urged miners to recognise their environmental responsibility and mine in a responsible manner. Before the lottery began, Clinton Williams, GGMC’s Chairman expressed the hope that all those who had turned up for the lottery could benefit and promised that there would be another such event by the end of the year. Miners were urged to file their applications for the Prospecting Permit Medium Scale (PPMS) for the blocks awarded by the date specified. Failure to do so would result in the award deemed to have lapsed and the block withdrawn, GINA said.
The lands which were up for lottery are cancelled properties, for which persons have stopped paying rent, GINA added
