With the withdrawal of the Guyana Gold and Dia-mond Miners Association (GGDMA) from the Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) that manages the Guyana Extractive industries Transparency Initiative (GYEITI), local non-governmental organisation Policy Forum Guyana (PFG) has challenged the claim that miners were targeted and harassed to make disclosures.
In response to claims made by a GGDMA official, who spoke with Stabroek News on the withdrawal, the PFG in a release on Monday sought to clear the air on what took place.
The PSG noted that contrary to the impression given, GGDMA is not represented on the MSG. Instead, the mining association was invited by the Minister of Natural Resources when the GYEITI was being formed in 2016 to facilitate the election of a group to represent the interests of small- and medium-scale miners. It was pointed out that once the MSG is officially inaugurated, the participants are there in an individual capacity. Further, the same applies to the role played by PFG for the civic component of the MSG. It was also explain-ed that GYEITI is the Guyanese section of EITI whose members serve in a voluntary capacity and has a small Secretariat that coordinates the work of the MSG.
