Should regulations such as six months’ notification before mining can commence be implemented, larger miners can survive but the small miners would not, veteran miner, Patrick Pereira warned prospectors at Port Kaituma yesterday.
He along with Executive Secretary of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Associa-tion (GGDMA), Edward Shields urged miners in the Region One community to let their voices be heard so that their livelihood can be safeguarded.
The meeting was held to update the miners on developing events in the sector and to urge them to support their fellow miners in fighting against the proposals. “If we do not oppose the proposals of new regulations, the small scale miner will cease to exist”, warned Shields. He noted the proposals were made “without any consultations whatsoever” with either loggers or miners.
Over 100 miners attended the meeting and they were fully in support of the Association’s position. Shields noted that even persons outside of mining will be affected and noting Monday’s large protest in Bartica said that the administration is “finally waking up that they want to push this thing a bit too fast”. He said that in the last three meetings of the Land Use Committee – set up by President Bharrat Jagdeo to look into these issues – a little progress was made. However, he said that there was no movement on the contentious six-month notification period being proposed by the government, which the mining sector deeply opposes. According to Shields, their mission is to have the administration withdraw the six-months proposal and to ensure that the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) has no say on mining matters. He emphasized that the issue was not a political one but a “bread and butter” issue.
Shields disclosed that at the Committee’s meeting one of the proposals was that new miners who will start new operations as of October will have to give the six-months notice.
Accumulated acreage
Meantime, Pereira outlined to the miners that what the association is seeking is an “accumulated acreage” of four percent of the land for small and medium scale miners. He said that this would be exempt from the rules of the forest protection pact signed with Norway. He warned that should the proposed regulations be implemented, big miners can survive but the small ones will go “down the drain”.
Should their exemption proposal be accepted by Jagdeo, Pereira proposed that an “excavator pool” be started to make excavators available to small miners only. He said that he had had discussions with the head of an organization who promised that they would match any amount raised. Depending on how much money they can garner from larger miners as well as other organizations, one to five excavators can be purchased, he said. Pereira told the miners that should the president accept the conditions in their proposal, his company – the Pereira Mining Group will put up $2M to start the project.
Pereira, who is also an executive member of the GGDMA, outlined several things being sought but noted that these had not been vetted as yet. These include that miners be allowed to continue to do direct mining (as they are doing now); that the acreage requested be exempt from the rules of the Norway agreement and the Low Carbon Development Strategy rules; that there be no compulsory exploration before mining; no six months notification period; all miners with the exception of very small pork-knockers have to fill out the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) form indicating where they intend to mine; no involvement of the GFC in giving permission to mine or having anything to do with mining laws and regulations; and any land rehabilitation charges or deposits to the GGMC must not be greater than $100,000 for any mining and prospect permit area. The GGMC should put aside one percent of the gold royalty to assist in rehabilitation of mined out areas especially for very small miners, Pereira said. Further, he noted that there should be no banning on the use of mercury as long as there is no practical, safer, or economical alternative.
For their part, miners should not allow any dirty water to enter any main river especially where people live downriver and should try to mine in such a way so at to be able to almost automatically backfill worked out areas as much as possible. They should also sell to the Guyana Gold Board, Pereira declared.
Meantime residents ex-pressed their support of the GGDMA. Port Kaituma resident, Ramesh Deonarine said that in the mining-dependant community, there are “poor families…when things hard, they can pick up a battel and go in the backdam” to mine. He said that everyone in the community is dependant on mining and small miners are not about to give up.
Shookdeo Persaud, a miner and shop-owner pointed out that shopkeeper, market vendors, city storeowners, aircraft operators, speedboat operators and fuel suppliers all benefit from miners.
“The main thing is for our children cause we got a lot children in this area wha going to school and depend on the mining cause the mother and father in the backdam and we depend on the miners. We have the people in transportation…if you cripple the mining you find all these people out of bread”, said Phillip Collins. “If they cripple the industry that means that everything dead…all the new building, all the boats”, he added.
Earlier, the speakers accused developed countries, naming Norway, as wanting to “destroy” them. One woman noted the various sectors’ inter-connectedness with mining stating that it is the sector that keeps the local aviation industry in operation “not tourists”.
Miners are being urged to attend the February 11 meeting with Jagdeo to be held at the International Convention Centre and Shields said that they want to hear a pronouncement from the President on the way forward. Miners are being urged to sell only to the Guyana Gold Board or legitimate dealers with the sector eyeing a target of 500,000 ounces of gold produced this year.
