With their operations facing increased scrutiny, miners remain in limbo on the way forward as two weeks after a key meeting with President Bharrat Jagdeo, they have heard nothing else.
Nothing has happened since the meeting, Executive Secretary of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Asso-ciation (GGDMA), Edward Shields said. Following widespread opposition to the government’s proposal that miners would have to give six months notice before mining can commence, Jagdeo – at the meeting – laid out a position that while miners will still have to give notice of their intention to mine, they will be given an initial three hectares where they can begin operations before permission is granted for them to work other areas.
The arrangement was arrived at following the deliberations of a Special Land Use Committee (SLUC) set up by Jagdeo. The President had also extended the life of the SLUC and more members were to have been added. In the report of the Committee, miners are supposed to report on their operations within a certain time.
But when contacted yesterday, Shields said that nothing has happened since. Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn is the Chairman of the Committee and Shields has written to him and asked that the issue be treated “as a matter of priority”. He stated that he had spoken to Benn about the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) putting the requirements in a “step-by-step form”.
“We would not be convinced until we read something that has an official stamp or signature”, said Shields. He noted that the report of the Committee states that by April 1, all ongoing operations are required to give notification so that the state has their details of the operation and machinery.
Also by April 1, all persons who have medium scale prospecting permits on which mining is occurring or has occurred shall take all necessary steps to obtain a mining permit. Mining permit holders shall post an environmental bond and claim licence holders and holders of unverified claims shall post a reclamation bond following the procedures as required by the GGMC.
Starting from March 1, all persons who intend to start mining on October 1 or after are required to give six months notice of intended prospecting and or mining operations and the location of specified machinery and/or dredge.
In this notice an initial starting point and one alternative starting point must be described providing GPS coordinates and depictions on a map for both. The alternative starting point is only required to accommodate unforeseen occurrences such as flooding which would occasion the miner having to remove from the initial starting point, the report explained.
Shields told this newspaper that the GGDMA plans to have an outreach programme but “we cannot go to our miners and speak about what we think…we need to see that in black and white.” He added that there has been no meeting of the expanded SLUC as yet.