Defending government’s decision to greenlight the restart of small scale mining at Marudi Mountain, in the Deep South Rupununi, Region Nine, Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat last evening said it was based on pleadings from residents of the nearby communities in need of income generation given the severe constraints from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We in government needed to strike a balance because people need to be gainfully employed. We had to find a balance,” Bharrat last evening said when asked by Stabroek News about the decision, in light of strong opposition by indigenous activists.
Among the criticisms of a new agreement between the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Romanex, Canadian-owned mining company Aurous, and the Rupununi Miners Association was the lack of consultation with communities that stand to be affected by it.