The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is taking the government to task for failing to insulate the environment and Indigenous communities from the negative effects of gold mining and makes the case that the many benefits it accords the sector do little to encourage responsible action.
In a release yesterday, GHRA referenced the recent statement from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MoNR) which catalogued the extensive perks, concessions and privileges extended to the gold-mining sector, including tax reductions, duty-free concessions, simplified licensing arrangements, expansion of available mining properties in conflicted areas such as Marudi Mountains, and removal of protective regulations. All this, the Association added, without mentioning the “huge environmental and human cost” perpetrated by this industry. It was noted too that the ministry’s statement concluded with a reminder that this unwavering support was “in keeping with the ruling party Manifesto prior to the last elections.” Further, the GHRA bemoaned the fact that even road-building in interior regions has become mining-driven rather than influenced by community or environmental considerations.