Dear Editor,
The Bartica United Youth Development Group (BUYDG) rejects statements made by President Donald Ramotar during the PPP/C campaign rally in Bartica, Region Seven. Mr Ramotar stated that the small gold miners must vote for the PPP/C and put them back into office at the regional and general elections, and if that happened he would ensure that small gold miners would have an opportunity to get their mining lands.
Editor, the PPP/C government has a responsibility to issue concessions to small gold miners since the land belongs to the citizens of Guyana and should not be used by any political party as an election bargaining chip. The small gold miners are citizens of Guyana who are entitled to make a living from Guyana’s resources, and as such they don’t have to vote for the PPP/C before they get land. This applies too if the PPP/C loses the election to APNU+AFC, which has the same responsibility to the small gold miners.
Over the years the government has given large concessions to overseas companies and big gold miners, but the small gold miners have continued to suffer since many of them need to pay to work on land held by the large miners.
Gold-mining is what is keeping the community alive, because the small miners provide a lot of jobs for the residents of Bartica, Linden, Georgetown, Brazil, etc.
Editor, the gold miners should have received better treatment from the PPP/C government since they have generated billions of dollars for the treasury and have made Bartica (Region 7) the largest contributor to the treasury.
When the price of gold was falling, the small miners approached the PPP/C government for help in relation to land concessions and tax exemptions on items they use in their operations, but most times their requests were not granted.
Yours faithfully,
Micah Williams
