– as mining week launched
The contribution of miners to the development of Guyana was lauded and they were urged to conduct their operations in a responsible manner as an exhibition showcasing aspects of mining as part of Mining Week activities, was declared open at the Girl Guides Association compound last evening.
Mining Week, which began on Sunday, runs until Saturday with a number of activities planned by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).
Speaking during the formal opening of the exhibition last evening, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, while lauding the miners for their contribution to the country, said that it must be pursued responsibly. “Miners must be sensitive to public sentiment and must set out to win public assent,” he urged.
In recounting the way of life of the miners of old, Hinds said miners today must maintain the tradition of contributing to national development. He said many practices tolerated in the past were no longer acceptable. The Prime Minister pointed to the increased mechanization of the industry and urged the miners to rise to the challenge of environmentally responsible mining.
He said that mining laws require respect for those who make their homes in the hinterland noting that the “hinterland must not be thought of any longer as the place where anything goes”. He added that the important role of pioneers in hinterland development fell to miners.
He said too that while the industry did better on the environmental side attention must be paid to the social aspect. He stated when in the past miners had to be wary of sexually transmitted diseases, now they have to contend with HIV; when previously there was alcohol, now there are hard drugs and firearms.
Meantime, GGMC Commissioner, William Woolford, told the gathering, which included the Chinese ambassador among other members of the diplomatic corps, that the industry has been doing particularly well. He said settlements and towns were developed because of mining and urged miners to do things to win the trust of communities. Woolford lauded the work of the World Wildlife Fund and the Canadian International Development Agency GENDCAP programme in relation to mining.
He insisted that mining has to be done in a way that satisfies international, country and local community’s requirements and challenged the miners to adopt to the new times.
Chairman of the GGMC Board of Directors, Ronald Webster, in brief remarks pointed out that last year, mining expanded by 22.7% and the growth was continuing. But there are “ifs”, he said, in particular, the importance of responsible mining. He said that this not only involved miners but other stakeholders as well. “If we work together we can ensure that a responsible mining regime exists,” he emphasized.
He echoed Hinds and Woolford’s sentiments for a need to ensure a good relationship between miners and communities in the area. He declared that there was tremendous potential for mining in Guyana’s interior, once it was done responsibly and asserted that what was often overlooked was the impact that mining has and its ability to develop communities.
Mining Week, which is being observed under the theme ‘Celebrating the contribution of the Pork-knocker to the development of Guyana’, will see a number of activities being undertaken.
Apart from two nights of cultural extravaganzas, there will be batelling for gold, jigging for diamonds, demonstration of aspects of mining activities and the sale of silver jewellery and semi-precious stones among other activities. Persons visiting the exhibition can win a free diamond while rock and mineral samples as well as geological maps of Guyana will be available free to visitors.
In addition, there is a ‘Pork-Knocker Day’ to be held at Bartica next Saturday.
