About 100 residents of Haruru, Upper Berbice River, Region 10, yesterday blocked the main road used by Rusal Bauxite Company workers to get to the company’s Kwakwani mining site over a quarrel for land rental fees and a proposal to block them from accessing a logging area slated to be a mining site.
“About one hundred residents come out and block the road with logs and tractor and they also block the waterfront so Rusal workers boat couldn’t land,” a resident told Stabroek News when contacted yesterday. Up to late yesterday afternoon, the residents were still protesting and police were in the area.
Captain of the community of about 600 persons, Winsbert Benjamin told Stabroek News that he advised the residents against the protest action as the council was engaging the company and the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs. “But they say that they will protest and are protesting,” the concerned man said.
One resident told Stabroek News that they decided to protest because they are of the opinion that the captain and councilors are not properly representing them in the engagements with Rusal.
According to the resident, the community is a reservation and over the years, Rusal has been paying the village about $1.2 million per month for usage of a road to get to their mining site but almost all the money goes back into paying for electricity that the company provides. The residents said that other communities such as Ituni and Kwakwani pay a minimal sum but they are forced to pay this amount for electricity.
However, the issue that has raised the ire of the residents relates to a deal that was inked several years ago which gives Rusal the right to mine in an area known as 7 Miles. The company has since demarcated the area and has signaled that they will stop residents from accessing the area. This has not met with the approval of the residents since the area is ready for logging and the community is heavily dependent on logging for its livelihood.
The company also wants to lease around 320 acres of land from the village and is proposing to pay $3.7 million per month for the road which they would use to transport bauxite to the waterfront.
This proposal was rejected by the residents who are demanding $12 million a month for usage of the land since they said that Rusal is making millions of dollars and would be cutting its monthly expenses by a large margin due to the use of the land.
However, Benjamin said that the $3.7 million that is being proposed for the monthly rental of the land was worked out by the council and the company with the Amerindian Affairs Ministry.
He stated that at the meeting, Minister Pauline Sukhai indicated that in keeping with international norms, the land should be rented by acreage.
According to the captain, when this was calculated, the company would only pay $250,000 a month for the 320 acres. The council then highlighted that the company pays much more than that -$1.2 million- for use of a smaller piece of land and it was then worked out that $3.7 million would be an acceptable price. He said when he returned from the meeting last week, the residents were not in agreement with that sum and he indicated to them that he would be having another meeting with the minister today and he would indicate that they are still demanding the $12 million.
“But I told them let’s go back to the minister and then we can also speak to the Prime Minister but let’s respect (the) leaders first before protesting but they still went ahead and protest,” Benjamin said.
On the issue of the company denying access to the 7 Miles area, the Captain said that Rusal is contending that the area is going to be a mining site and if a resident is injured, it would be the company’s responsibility. “So the company is saying they can’t go through to bring out logs or anything because they could get injured…” he said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Region Ten Sharma Solomon said that he is aware of the issue and that he will be raising it at a meeting scheduled with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment tomorrow. The meeting was scheduled to discuss the Chinese logging company Bai Shan Lin Forest Development Inc which has been accused of carrying out unlawful works at Moblissa, Linden, and refusing to sign a Cease Work Order served on it by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission.
Solomon said the point the region will be making is that there should be mutual benefits for investors and the community in which they invest.
As it relates to Haruru, Solomon said that the entire community should have been consulted as any agreement will affect all residents and Rusal should have responded to them in a measured way and not just deal with the council.
Yesterday afternoon, residents said they would continue the protest today until they get a satisfactory answer from the government or the company.
