Minister of Natural Re-sources, Raphael Trotman, on March 5, 2017 told a mining conference in Canada that Guyana remains under prospected and steps are being taken to make more data available on mineral rich areas.
He was speaking at the Guyana Day Seminar hosted by the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada in Toronto, a release from his ministry said. He urged those at the conference to join in the responsible exploration of the country.
According to the release, the Minister invited companies to invest for profit and leave behind strong infrastructure, a more professional workforce than that found; practice good environmental behaviour that can be used as a global model; and demonstrate tangible levels of corporate social responsibility. “The principles on which government/ investor relations stand are simple: for us, it must be a mutually beneficial arrangement,” the release quoted Trotman as saying.
Meanwhile, according to the release, Trotman said that the Government has begun to revise and update the Ministry of Natural Resources Strategic Plan that will cover the period up to 2020. The release stated that this plan will see policies within the sector being harmonized that relate to conservation, management, protection and sustainable development of both our forestry and mineral resources.
The release added that the Ministry of Natural Resources is currently examining the longevity of the bauxite industry and this review will include a study of the feasibility of an alumina plant. The ministry is also encouraging diversification into other minerals and is optimistic that manganese production will come on-stream later this year in Matthews Ridge, Region 1. Meanwhile, according to the release, Trotman, in his remarks, highlighted several achievements in the mineral sector.
The release stated that in 2017 gold production surpassed 2016’s 550,000ozs with 705,000ozs, the highest gold production ever declared in a given year in Guyana. This year’s target set by the Ministry of Finance is 700,000 ozs for 2017 and already 100,000ozs have been produced for the first two months of 2017.
According to the release, diamond declaration for 2016 also saw remarkable improvement with 139,899.59 metric carats, 90,000 metric carats had been projected.
Additionally, the release stated, in November 2016 the Ministry of Natural Resources developed and launched a Corporate Social Responsibility Framework that provides guidance to companies on four priority areas: green spaces, youth mentorship, land restoration and a green development fund.
Trotman also highlighted educational strides made in the sector. He said that in 2016 alone over 300 miners and new entrants had been trained at the growing mining school.
