The Guyana Gold Board is to open two other locations and later a refinery to meet not only the high demands of the agency but particularly to curb smuggling of the precious metal which accounts for millions in revenue losses.
Minister of Natural Resources Robert Persaud made these disclosures at a press conference at the Sleep Inn Hotel, Georgetown, to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Guyana Gold Board.
“Because of the growth and the anticipated growth we are currently looking at two locations in Port Kaituma and Charity and possibly later Lethem … these measures are also to tackle a larger problem of gold being smuggled. We don’t want there to be an excuse that due to the absence of the Gold Board in these outlying areas there are those leakages,” he said.
He also noted that currently there are only two Gold Board locations – one on Brickdam and another at Bartica – and so the additions will aid in the GGB being more vigilant of the industry.
Many miners had bemoaned the system saying that they would have to travel long distances to sell their production to the board, often at the risk of being robbed.
Persaud said that although gold production for this year is estimated at 370,000 ounces, figures given by stakeholders on slippages estimate that under declaration can also be as much as 400,000 ounces which would be a significant loss for Guyana’s economy.
Illegal mining accounted for most of the gold smuggling and the minister chided Guyanese who he said facilitate this malpractice. “Persons who have prospecting licences, both medium scale and large scale, are fully aware that under our laws you cannot mine on those areas, they are there for the purpose of exploration… yet these individuals would sign a document giving permission to non-nationals, particularly Brazilians, to go and engage in this illegality and these are not fly by night companies I’m talking about – these are established companies.” He added: “The fact now that we have evidence … where persons are entering into documented agreements with non-nationals to breach our laws, shows that there’s a level of persons who have no consideration for our laws and they just decide that they will do what they feel like and that we will not tolerate.”
He warned the defaulters that under the law their licences can be revoked but there will be a thorough review of these cases and persons will be given the chance to explain the reason for breaking the law since prior education awareness and sensitization efforts were undertaken by persons from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).
“We’ll not be doing this in a willy-nilly manner, we will also be giving them an opportunity to explain and to show cause why it is we should not take a certain course of action,” said Persaud.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Guyana Gold Board Dr. Gobin Ganga gave a synopsis of the board’s activities over the past years. He informed that gold production for 2011 illustrates that it had surpassed the previous three years earning US$247M for the period 2007-2010 and more than doubled that figure with US$517M for 2011.
Gold declaration for the same period shows that in the years 2007-2010 there was a recorded 277,000 ounces while in 2011 it climbed to 363,000 ounces.
“The Board of Directors will deliberate and implement appropriate policies to add to the achievements of the Guyana Gold Board over the past 30 years to enhance growth and development of the Guyanese economy,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deborah Forbes, Rodwell Philips and Leon Cort were honoured at the meeting for their longstanding service with the GGB.
