-urges against knee jerk reaction to sanctions
The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) has expressed consternation at what it refers to as “hints” of the removal of certain incentives and concessions that it says it has fought for on behalf of the industry, and is urging the government not to engage in a “knee jerk reaction,” a GGDMA release stated yesterday.
This comes in the wake of the recent findings by the US Department of the Treasury and the subsequent sanctions placed on a number of Guyanese nationals and entities.
The GGDMA iterated that its position has always been anti-smuggling and is supportive of government’s commitment to pursue a full investigation into the matter and prosecute those involved. As such, it urged the administration not to use the recent disclosure by the United States as a broad brush to paint all miners as smugglers, as it assured that the majority of miners are not engaged in smuggling and have worked hard for their place in society.
“There are undoubtedly smugglers in the midst of the industry, and we will continue to provide support to the Government to root them out. However, the GGDMA notes with much consternation, hints of the removal of certain incentives and concessions that the GGDMA has fought for on behalf of the industry. We urge the authorities not to give in to this knee jerk reaction and to “throw out the baby with the bathwater,” as this would be unacceptable. The mining industry has fought long and hard to get concessions which have helped bolster the industry through the many tough times. It would be grossly irresponsible to hold the actions of a few against the majority of miners,” the association argued.
The release touched on the issue of reduced gold production numbers and explained that because of “massive” labour shortages at all levels in the sector, legitimate operators are also suffering from low production due to their inability to run as many operations. Consequently, it noted, the total production of gold from the miners who are selling to legitimate channels has also been greatly diminished, making the case that benefits to these compliant organisations should not be taken away.
The GGDMA repeated its call for the government to frontally address the issue of smuggling and to take the US report as a launching pad to prosecute the bad actors in the industry. It also took the opportunity to encourage all miners to sell their gold to the Guyana Gold Board or to licensed gold dealers. Miners are also reminded to ensure that proper documentation and a periodic statement of their transactions is received from the licensed gold dealer and that this statement should be with the gold dealer’s records presented to Gold Board. Such verification, the association stated, is important since it will ensure that the gold is properly accounted for and that taxes taxes are being correctly paid to the government, the release added.
