The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), the National Mining Syndicate (NMS) and the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) are to submit a memorandum containing their concerns about the mining industry and their recommendations to President David Granger for consideration.
This was agreed on Friday when President Granger hosted an interactive business luncheon for members of the three organisations at State House.
According to a statement subsequently issued by the Ministry of the Presidency, Granger, during brief remarks at the event, assured the stakeholders that the government is committed to continuing support for the sustainable development of the sector, and also emphasised the need for their participation in the process.
Granger, the statement noted, indicated that government’s policy on gold and diamond mining aims at ensuring sustainable mining. He also outlined five areas which are to be incorporated into the national mining policy: human safety and security, environmental safety and health, the enforcement of mining laws and regulations, infrastructural development and the technological advancement of the sector.
Noting that government is working towards a Decade of Development from 2020 to 2029, the president said it would welcome recommendations from the mining sector. Additionally, Granger was also reported as telling the miners that the industry is one which needs to be properly regulated. “We have to remove mining from the ‘ad hoc-ery’ which has plagued it for such a long time that people do not regard it as a settled industry where you can go and live and have children, schools and hospitals. It is important to have settled communities with proper infrastructure. I don’t dismiss the idea of housing schemes, schools [so] that the children of miners could get the same quality education in any part of the country, wherever you live,” he was quoted as saying in response to a request for the establishment of housing schemes for miners.
He also noted that he expects that within a short period of time, the police divisional structure will be modified to ensure that there is more security across hinterland locations.
With the president inviting the miners to speak frankly about their problems and to make recommendations that would be considered by the government, the ministry said GGDMA President Terrence Adams raised concerns about the deplorable state of the roadways which lead to mining communities and what he described as a need for more government concessions.
“The interior roads have been an issue for years and I think the issuing of contracts on the roads is not done in a timely manner. If we can’t get into the interior to do our work, then the cost will go up and we will have less declarations and that won’t benefit the country,” he was quoted as saying.
Urica Primus, President of the GWMO, and Cheryl Williams, President of the NMS, also shared similar concerns.
Additionally, the statement said Primus asked for the government’s assistance in the phasing out of the use of mercury, particularly in the case of small-scale miners, who cannot readily afford the alternatives to mercury.
As a signatory to the Minamata Convention, the global treaty to reduce production and usage of mercury, Guyana has committed to eliminating its used by 2027.
“It would be excessively helpful for a revolving fund to be created to help miners move to mercury-free mining. We understand the government has a National Action Plan. We understand that we will not be able to work the same way forever but at the same time, we want the government to understand it is not that miners are set in their ways, it is just that they may not be able to afford all at once,” Primus explained.
In response, the president was reported as saying that they would have to work on it together.
As it relates to taxation and concessions, the statement said he indicated that the government is heavily dependent on revenues and assured that Minister of Finance Winston Jordan, who was also at the luncheon, would have to examine issues related to concessions and taxation. “It is an aspect of government policy which is continuously under review. To the extent that we could get proceeds, profits or revenues from other sources, I would encourage him [Minister Jordan] to examine ways and means of looking at these concessions. We don’t want a ‘higgly piggly’ taxation in which we give ‘A’ and ‘B’ concessions because ‘C’ and ‘D’ will demand concessions as well. One of the tasks of the GRA [Guyana Revenue Authority] is to try to eliminate anomalies…so that the taxation regime not only brings in more revenue but at the same time is fair and is not subject to the type of abuse which could occur when you have too many loopholes. This is one area which we are prepared to examine,” he said.
The statement noted that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, the Ministers of Public Security, Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Business, Foreign Affairs, Communities, Social Cohesion and Citizenship, Members of the Board of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Chairman of the Guyana Gold Board, and representatives of the various mining organisations also attended the luncheon.
