Guyana and Australia will be working closer on mining issues and it is expected that local personnel will benefit from specialised training. Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud told media operatives at a press conference Thursday that his ministry has followed through on a recent proposal made by Australia’s Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Richard Marles, who visited recently to explore other avenues for cooperation in Guyana along with development needs.
“We have submitted to the Australian High Commission particular areas of interest… one such is the area of capacity building, specialised training in mining for some of our personnel… we can share a lot of experiences in mining given the development that Australia has made with its mining sector,” Minister Persaud is quoted as saying by the Government Information Agency (GINA).
GINA noted that Guyana has embarked on a relentless campaign to partner with countries and relevant agencies in order to develop a model that can catapult the mining sector and the natural resource management of the country in keeping with environmental standards. Last year Guyana signed some major mining agreements, such as those with Canadian companies, including ETK/ Sandspring for establishing the Toroparu mine between the Cuyuni and Mazaruni Rivers in Region Seven.
Two companies, CGX and Repsol are drilling for oil at the moment, the release concluded.
