Dear Editor,
I am very happy that the government is now taking a stand against corruption by public officers. I wish to direct the President’s attention to the mines’ officers – particularly the wardens of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (G&MC) who are deployed in our various mining districts.
I am a shop owner and a small-scale miner at the level of a pork-knocker who is presently operating at the Quartz Hill mining location. My little shop is located at Kumaka landing and on land belonging to Toolsie Persaud & Sons. There are also other small shops at Kumaka landing. We were constantly harassed and given up to January this year by the wardens (mines officers) to remove from Kumaka landing because it is private land and to relocate on lands allotted for shops at Quartz Hill. The problem is that while we are told to relocate to the allotted lands to ply our trade, the wardens are allowing other shop owners to set up their businesses in the mines, which I think is illegal. As a shop-owner, if I am to relocate to the allotted lands identified by the wardens, I will do no business and will have to close my shop, since many shops are already in the mines. Shops located at Kumaka landing depend on the miners coming out from the mines to shop. What is also contributing to our problem is that persons with no shop licence hide in the day and come out at night to ply their trade. This causes our business which is legitimate to stagnate. This irregularity happens before the eyes of the wardens and they do nothing about it.
If shops are to relocate to the allotted lands at Quartz Hill it means that shops that are in the mines should also have to relocate to the alloted lands. In the meanwhile the wardens are having a good time with their ‘rewards’ of beer and money from the ongoing lawlessness that is presently taking place. Also what is ever present is continued gunplay, prostitution, striptease dancing and the smoking of marijuana and cocaine.
Mr Editor, if the present situation does not change it means that some of us will have to claim compensation from the GG&MC since we have already built our shops on the allotted lands, although we have not removed as yet from Kumaka landing. Building our shops cost millions of dollars.
I am appealing to his Excellency the President of Guyana, Mr Bharrat Jagdeo, to intervene as early as possible with the view to bring an end to the lawlessness taking place at Quartz Hill mining location in the Essequibo River.
Yours faithfully,
Trevor John
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to the Commissioner of Geology and Mines for any comments he might wish to make.
