Miners body must decide if it’s a pressure group or partner in development – ministry

In the wake of a scathing attack by the GGDMA on the government, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) on Saturday said that the miners’ body has to decide “whether it is a political pressure group and a body representing the interests of an elite group, or a partner in national development”.

On Wednesday, in the wake of the killing of a miner at Puruni by a policeman, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA)  issued a strong condemnation and also severely criticised the government on its stance over the industry.

It also said that more than three years later, President David Granger is still refusing to meet with the largest private sector employer in the country.

“The GGDMA notes the current level of impunity in which brutality and neglect is allowed to be meted out to members of the mining industry.