The Closed Area Committee (CAC) is now ready to receive applications for prospecting permits to mining lands, according to Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, who says small-scale mining operations would be the first priority. Trotman said that the decision was made at a CAC meeting on Tuesday, at which both the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Gold & Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) were represented.
He told a news conference at the ministry that blocks will be given out in the six (6) mining districts: Berbice, Potaro, Mazaruni, Cuyuni, the North West and the Rupununi.
He noted that approximately 422 acres will constitute a block an a miner may be considered for a