Retired Major General Joseph Singh yesterday resigned as Chairman of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Board, following strong agitation from the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association (GGDMA), which expressed no confidence in him and pulled its participation from Mining Week activities as a result.
In a letter to Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud, dated August 18, 2012 and seen by this newspaper, Singh said that he had not been informed that there was the vote of no-confidence against him. “I would not wish to be the excuse for the Association’s non-participation in the Mining Week 2012 activities and also an inhibiting factor in the much needed collaboration between the Association and the Commission and with your Ministry,” he wrote.
“As a professional who has strived to serve the interests of Guyana and all of its citizens to my utmost ability over the past 48 years of my working life, it is not difficult for me to make this decision to resign from the membership of the Board of the GGMC and as Chairman and I do so with immediate effect,” Singh added.
He noted that he telephoned GGDMA President Patrick Harding and advised him of the decision to resign and requested that he informs his membership so that the way is cleared for the GGDMA to participate fully in the Mining Week 2012.
His replacement is to be named shortly, the ministry said yesterday.
Harding, in a letter last Thursday to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment informing of the decision against participating in Mining Week, noted that the GGDMA membership had voted a motion of no confidence in Singh and made a case for his removal, as his appointment had been a concern.
With the increasingly important role of mining to the economy, the miners association has been flexing its muscle on policy positions. During a recent meeting with President Donald Ramotar, the GGDMA’s representatives had accused Singh of facing a conflict of interest. They described him as an environmentalist and said that the association believed he had taken some “anti-mining” positions.” This came in wake of the GGMC appearing to embark on a role to end mining of river banks and rivers and an announcement that no further river mining concessions would be handed out, which sparked uproar in the mining community.
Minister Persaud and the GGMC later said that there had only been a suspension—now lifted—for a review of the situation based on reports of severe pollution by miners.
Singh, prior to his role at the GGMC, had been an ardent spokesperson against the destruction of rivers by miners. He had played an important role in publicising the severe damage to the Konawaruk River by miners.
In his letter to Persaud, Singh said the reform of the mining sector in accordance with Guyana’s national interests is far too important an objective to be distracted by his Chairmanship and membership of the Board.
He said that he valued the vote of confidence that Minister Persaud and President Ramotar placed in him by making him Chairman and he thanked them for the support that they gave to him.
Meanwhile, a release from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment yesterday noted that Singh served as the Chairman of the GGMC from April, 2011 with distinction, commitment and integrity and that it and the government would continue to value his wisdom and experience.
It said that the strides made under his leadership in “aligning the mining sector and more particularly the GGMC for future opportunities and challenges will be consolidated.” The Ministry also said that to ensure the effective and smooth functioning of the Board, a new Chairman of the GGMC will be named, shortly.
Singh recently renewed his engagement at the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company as the Chief Executive Officer—a challenging post in light of the increasing pressure from Digicel for an end to the telecoms monopoly and stiffer competition for customers. After he resumed his role at GT&T, he continued to function as Chairman of the GGMC.
Singh’s role at the GGMC came under the spotlight recently for two reasons. Critics had said that Minister Persaud had usurped key functions of the regulatory body and had been dictating to it.
The public dressing down by Persaud of GGMC Commissioner Karen Livan at a meeting with miners several months ago had been cited as an example where the GGMC appeared ineffectual and did not assert itself in defending Livan.
Singh was also recently criticised after it had been revealed that he had been one of the highly paid contract employees of the Office of the President (OP), where he was said to be advising on a range of matters. At that point it might have appeared to the public that he was receiving three salaries: one from the GGMC, one from GT&T and one from OP. Singh later clarified by way of a letter to the newspaper that he would not be receiving pay while he was at GT&T.
