US$1B turnover a year in Suriname small-scale gold sector

(De Ware Tijd)  – The small-scale gold sector has an estimated turnover of US$ 1 billion a year. The government therefore cannot avoid bringing order to this sector so that its revenues will benefit the entire economy. The operation to bring order will start next Monday, when different teams will go to the gold fields in the hinterland to make an inventory of the sector. This was announced yesterday evening in Hotel Torarica during presentations about the ordering of the sector. Tony van Dijk, head of the Tax Department, stated that in 2009, the 115 registered small-scale gold producers paid just SRD 118,728 in income taxes. Everyone who is registered during the inventory and meets certain criteria will get a mining pass for a fee at the end of the project. With that pass, the holders can then pay their taxes. At the end of January, three mining service centres will be opened in Afobaka, Langatabiki and Kwakugron. These are so-called one-stop windows where gold miners can do business with the government. A total of seven of these centres will be opened throughout the hinterland, and these will be staffed by personnel of different government departments and services, such as army, police, Customs, Taxes, and government administration.