The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) yesterday rejected claims that miners reportedly made at a meeting with the Guyana Women Miners Organisation that Chinese are taking over Imbaimadai and other interior locations for mining purposes.
The Commission was making reference to a news item published in the July 17 edition of Kaieteur News.
The GGMC in a press release yesterday said further that it was disturbed at the comments and would like to outline what it called the “facts” to quell any perceived takeover of mining areas by the Chinese.
According to the GGMC, claims by the locals that they were deprived of obtaining mineral properties in the area are baseless since the area was allocated by auction and Ramzan Ali was the successful bidder, and the four mining permits were issued to him on August 22, 2010.
The Commission also stated that all the equipment registered to Ali (a wash plant, a Cat 320 excavator and a 4’ dredge) were procured from China and apparently the skilled Chinese persons to operate the equipment for his mining purposes have just commenced mining. There is no Chinese takeover since the Chinese are merely employees of the property holder.
The GGMC further stated that seven Chinese had work permits and thirteen did not, and those without were asked to return to Georgetown forthwith to obtain the necessary documentation that was applied for. The Chinese belong to a company called Anjiya Mine Inc. and are working with Ali.
The Commission also noted that fifty blocks were issued in May 2011 to miners at Imbaimadai when they protested, saying that they knew that they were working the ‘closed area’ but now that they are being removed they wanted land to work. They formed a committee and agreed to the lottery and the area being assigned and they all participated in the lottery, the Commission added.
The GGMC is in the final stages of organizing a lottery for Imbaimadai based on several requests from residents for additional lands for the purpose of mining.
Meanwhile, the GGMC is assuring all stakeholders and investors that there is no such Chinese takeover and the Commission will continue to engage all towards the sustainable exploitation of Guyana’s mineral and other natural resources through transparency and equal opportunities, the release concluded.
