The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Associa-tion (GGDMA) on Thursday said there was nothing sinister about the survey permit accorded to Muri Brasil Ventures in the south east of Guyana.
In a statement sent to Stabroek News on Thursday but made available to other media houses a day earlier, the GGDMA said it and its Executive Members have analyzed the facts of the matter and noted the pronouncements on the issue by Stabroek News, and other public officials.
“Stabroek News and other officials need to get their facts right about the operation of the gold mining sector and the Mining Act/Regulations, and not to make uninformed statements, attacking agreements legally entered into between Government and other parties.
“Constant aerial surveys and exploration activities are necessary to develop the mining industry, and the issuing of a PGGS (Permission for a Geolog-ical and Geophysical Survey) is a methodology utilized to get mineral information over large areas.
Further, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, and its Ex-ecutive Members remains unmoved by the statements published in the press, and would like to state based upon the facts known/provided that there is nothing sinister about the issuance of a PGGS to Muri Brasil Venture Inc”, the association said.
The association called on media houses and concerned citizens to join it in ensuring the development of Guyana through the “continuation of identifying Guyana’s mineral potential, which can then be exploited for the benefit of Guyana.”
The GGDMA contended that Stabroek News had not checked initially with Muri Brasil Ventures Inc to verify information and had made a belated attempt on the 16th December to ascertain the views of the Company. Stabroek News Editor-in-Chief Anand Persaud in a response said that there had been no need for any initial check with Muri Brasil Ventures as the document provided to the newspaper contained straightforward information on the PGGS.
He said checks were later made with the company to learn more about its principals and plans but no one at its Kingston premises was available to answer questions. Stabroek News was later told that it would have to await a press release from a public relations company on behalf of Muri Brasil Ventures and this was duly received and covered by the newspaper.
