Director of the local office of Conservation International Dr. David Singh has lamented the lifting of the moratorium on river mining before a full discussion of the issues and he believes that more should be done to work towards realising a sustainable economy.
It is “unfortunate,” Dr. Singh told Stabroek News, that “the interest behind the position the government had taken, that those interests may have been sacrificed at the recent concessions made by government.”
Last week, following a meeting with President Donald Ramotar, miners won assurances of no bans on river mining or on the use of mercury. Miners had ratcheted up the pressure on the government over these issues by declaring a vote of no-confidence in Minister of Natural Resources and Mining Robert Persaud and had vowed to step up action. Their aggressive stance had followed a June announcement by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) that