The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association (GGDMA) will seek to set a new national record for gold declaration next year.
Speaking at the association’s annual dinner, GGDMA President Patrick Harding forecasted that production next year would surpass the 2001 gold declaration of 455,918 ounces, which was achieved while OMAI Gold Mines was still producing.
Harding’s prediction came on the heels of the announcement of the current 416,000 ounces declared by the small and medium scale miners so far for the year—a figure which is expected to increase before the close of the year, a release from the GGDMA last Thursday stated. The figure is also the highest production for Guyana without the input of Omai, which ceased production in 2006.
“For the past thirty years, the GGDMA has successfully guided the gold and diamond mining industry from gold declaration of 10,000 ounces to over 400,000 ounces of gold for this year 2012. This industry has grown through the hard work, pioneering spirit and strength of commitment by you the miners, mainly Guyanese from every region of Guyana, and every race and peoples,” Harding was quoted as saying.
The small and medium-scale gold and diamond mining industry is the fastest growing mining sector in Guyana, Harding noted, while adding that it plays a very important role to the country’s economy and is critical to the development of the hinterland communities, such as Bartica, Linden, Mahdia, Port Kai-tuma, Charity, and Matthews Ridge. He further said the infrastructure development of the interior, such as roads, bridges, airstrips, landings, electrical facilities, and radio and telecommunication services are mainly due to the mining industry.
Meanwhile, as part of the 30 year celebration, the association presented a gift of recognition to Prime Minister Samuel Hinds for his contribution to the industry, and plaques to Natural Resources and the Environment Minister Robert Persaud and to several long serving members including Harding, David Bacchus, Edward Shields, Victor Daniels, Cyrelda DeJesus, Stanislaus Jardine, and Malcolm Sears. Louis Roberts, Ignatius Jhinjoree, Eugene Adams, Dicky DeFreitas and Joseph DeAgrella, five founder members of the association, were also awarded posthumously.
With gold production continuing to surpass historical levels, Persaud recently expressed congratulations to the GGDMA as well as small and medium-scale miners.
According to a statement from his ministry, this year’s production is a signal achievement for the sector, which will set the bar high for gold production and declaration in 2013. It is anticipated that the declared gold production for 2012 could surpass 440,000 ounces, as the GGDMA has expressed its commitment to the minister to increase declarations before year end, the ministry said.
The Government Information Agency (GINA) recently noted that when OMAI ceased production in 2006, the production of Guyana’s artisanal miners was just above the 200,000 level which has now been doubled.
“I commend the GGDMA for imploring all of its members to ensure that targets set are surpassed. I’m confident that this number will increase before the year ends,” Persaud was quoted as saying. He also expressed the government’s appreciation and continued support for a viable and sustainable mining sector and took this opportunity to also congratulate the GGDMA on its 30th anniversary and its achievement of this milestone for the gold sector.
During a recent press briefing, Persaud had pointed out that the sector will continue to see an upward production trend as large scale mining operations are conducting prospecting work with the intention of commencing mining in 2013/2014.