APNU says it will be discussing what action to take against Minister of Natural Resources Robert Persaud over his granting of a mining survey permission in a sensitive part of the country without disclosing this to a parliamentary committee which had posed a specific question.
This is according to A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament Joe Harmon, who took to questioning the Minister during a sitting of the Natural Resources Committee on November 27 over whether there was any mining-related activity east of the New River in south east Guyana.
Speaking to this newspaper yesterday, Harmon said, “As an Opposition party we are to meet to discuss what has happened.” The MP however reiterated his call for the Minister to step down from his position, stating that this would be the honourable thing to do. He called the actions of the Minister in handing out the permission arbitrary and said that given the sensitive nature of the area’s ecology and its concomitant importance, there should be no contemplation of any activity there in the first place.
Persaud signed a Permission for Geological and Geophysical Survey (PGGS) in November last year and one of its clauses mandates that a maximum of 18 prospecting licences shall be granted for rare earth metals, bauxite, gold, diamonds and other mineral upon application.
Harmon also repeated his position that the Minister did not disclose the deal with Muri Brasil Ventures Inc. when asked specifically whether any activity had been permitted in the area of the New River Triangle.
Stabroek News has learnt that the Directors of Muri Brasil Ventures Inc., whose office is located at 88 Barrack Street, Kingston, are Dean Hassan and Yucatan Coutinho Reis. Hassan had previously been a part of North American Resources Inc whose business address was also 88 Barrack St Kingston. The company plans to mine rare earth elements and during the survey will be looking for bauxite, limestone, nephelene, syenite, gold, diamonds and granite stones. The PGGS, which Minister Persaud signed on November 7th 2012, states that for the permission the company must pay US$25,000 up front and for the second 12 months a fee of US$30,000 must be paid.
In a comment to the Stabroek News, Member of Parliament and Chair-man of the Sectoral Committee of Natural Resources Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine insists that Persaud when asked about development in the area denied that there was any. “He denied categorically when asked whether anything was happening east of the New River. It seems as though the permission has a [troublesome] clause. It has to be pursued further. I would want to have a discussion with the Minister himself,” said Dr. Roopnaraine.
Roopnaraine, also APNU Vice Chairman, said that he was unsure whether the same disciplinary measures that apply when a member is untruthful on the floor of the House applies to the Committee. “I would have to discuss this with the Committee,” said Roopnaraine.
The disclosure of the PGGS in the sensitive area also raises the question as to whether there may now be pressure brought to bear on the ministry to have it rescinded.
Yesterday, the Ministry released a short statement in which it reiterated its position stating that the issuance of a permission to conduct surveys is not the same as prospecting or mining and that no such licence was granted.
“The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and its regulatory agency, the Guyana Geology and Mines Com-mission (GGMC) wish to restate that no mining permit/license has been issued by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission for areas east of the New River,” the Ministry said.
“A company whose expression of interest based on a public call for proposals was evaluated and granted Permission for Geological and Geographi-cal Survey (PGGS) through the Guyana Geo-logy and Mines Commis-sion to conduct Geological and Geophysical Surveys in the Rupununi, Mining District No. 6,” it said.
“Cognisance should be taken of the fact that the PGGS held by Muri Brasil Venture Inc., a Guyanese company, was done in keeping with the ISO Certified procedures,” it said.
“Additionally, it should be noted that a PGGS is a property exclusive to exploration and does not include any mining and/or profit related activities. This is not related in any way to a Prospecting License, Mining License or Mining Permit all of which are also done in keeping with the Mining Act and its Regulation,” the Minister said. It added that according to the Mining Act, only the Minister can sign a PGSS based on the submission of the GGMC.
The PGGS includes a clause that says the company could be granted up to 18 prospecting licences once, according to the GGMC, the company proves to the agency that it has satisfied the requirements of its work programme.
In response to the publication of an article on the issue in yesterday’s Stabroek News, the Ministry said that the records of the PGSS issued are not secret. “Earlier disclosures were made to the media on this particular matter earlier in the year”, the Ministry said, repeating that it made disclosures to the Guyana Human Rights Association and the Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources. “Further, Minister Persaud has directed the GGMC to put online all the various permits and licences issued in the interest of transparency.”
It is unclear exactly when information on Muri Brasil Ventures Ltd was released as Stabroek News has been unable to find any reference to it.
