OVER the next three months, small-scale miners will benefit from the release of mineral lands, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, announced at the inaugural Small Miners’ Conference held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre yesterday.But even as the minister instructed the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Closed Areas Committee (CAC) to urgently release the lands to the miners, Trotman warned that the GGMC may see yet another “wash down”, given the number of complaints received from miners.

Trotman said it is critical that broken systems are fixed, so that the agencies and organisations put in place to serve must serve.

“Late last year, we did a ‘wash down’ at GGMC…and I am prepared to do another ‘wash down’,” he said to unanimous cheers.

The Natural Resources Minister explained that, since he took office, many miners have complained bitterly about the treatment meted out to them by representatives of the GGMC. He said there are too many complaints, and his ministry will not tolerate unprofessional and improper behaviour.

Trotman noted that it is not the role of the subject ministers to solve the problems facing those in the industry, but the role of the GGMC. He said because “the system is broken” it is felt that recourse can only be gotten from the ministers. “People believe that the minister should take care of every problem. In fact, it is the opposite,” the Natural Resources Minister said, explaining that ministers are appointed to oversee policies, but instead are forced to deal with the day-to-day problems facing miners.

MALPRACTICES
“It means we can’t move forward unless we fix this problem,” the minister added, while stressing that there are too many complaints about malpractices within the industry.

Accepting that the problems facing the industry are not going to be fixed overnight, Minister Trotman assured the gathering of small miners that his ministry would be examining responsible mining to ensure that, over time, the problems facing the industry are minimised.

Trotman told miners that the conference was aimed at providing a forum for small miners to speak with officials about their many challenges, with a view to crafting policies and legislation to address the issues. He noted that the industry has received much publicity recently, but for all the wrong reasons.
“It is for these reasons that the Government of Guyana is committed to working closely with all stakeholders in the mining sector to ensure that its continued contribution to the local economy is sustained. In this regard, government intends to fulfil its mandate in ensuring that miners — small-, medium- and large-scale — can ply their trade to maintain their livelihoods and secure their fair share of Guyana’s national patrimony,” he said.
RELEASE LANDS
As a result, the minister instructed the GGMC and the CAC to urgently release lands that are mineral-rich to small-scale miners in the six mining districts.

“The new administration is cognizant that many persons can acquire lands that are without any minerals, or with occurrences too low to ensure viability. We are also aware of the significant amount of lands abandoned by medium-scale miners alone over the last year; for one reason or another, these lands are ideal for small-scale miners who are more likely to bear fruitful prospects. I, therefore, want to ensure that access to these lands is given to genuine small-scale miners who can…make effective use of [them] and more importantly, that this process be completed within three months,” Minister Trotman said.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT
He noted the need for there to be transparent and equitable distribution of lands, and the agency will also be required to provide infrastructural development, make mineral data available to the miners, provide technical support in recovery methods, provide support to ensure mine safety and occupational health, establish demonstration sites to train miners in best practices, provide geotechnical services, and provide resolutions to land-tenure disputes within the areas allocated.

WOMEN IN MINING
“In the past, miners were primarily male, but this is now changing. Today we can find many women actively engaged in mining activities. In the past, the pork-knocker, as the itinerant miner was called, has been the pioneer to most major mineral finds. However, he has not had access to land and resources to develop the finds on a fair and transparent basis. In fact, whenever a significant find is made, the land was generally taken away and given to persons with resources to develop the mineral potential, and the pork-knocker would then have to begin the cycle all over again,” the minister related.

Given the challenges facing the industry, the minister commended miners for making their declarations at the Guyana Gold Board. He said while large-scale mining companies became present in Guyana last year, small and medium-scale miners accounted for approximately 411,000 ounces of the 451,490 ounces of gold recorded.

DECLARATIONS TO CONCESSIONS
At the end of the conference, Trotman questioned whether miners were entitled to receive certain concessions when they declare low amounts of gold, fail to pay workers, and are negligent, resulting in poor mining practices.

“We are not going to just grant concessions if you are not being responsible,” he said. He added that fuel concessions could be twinned to gold declarations.

“I will be recommending to the Minister of Finance that you tie fuel to declarations….You have got to tie your declarations to your concessions. Too much is being lost from smuggling,” he said.

Recently, government announced that some 15,000 ounces of gold are being smuggled out of Guyana each week.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
Meanwhile, Minister Trotman said the administration remains concerned about key occupational, health and safety issues, including the incidence of mining pit cave-ins. He reminded of the various incidents, placing specific reference to the tragedy at Mowasie, Region Eight, that claimed the lives of 11 miners.

“The Government of Guyana will not condone haphazard mining practices that put people’s lives at risk. One life (lost) is one too many, negligence is like suicide,” he said.
He said that Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, has been tasked with the specific responsibilities to oversee aspects of the occupational health, safety and protection of the rights of miners, workers and practitioners within the mining and forestry sectors; to ensure compliance by mining workers and practitioners of the laws and regulations within the mining and forestry sectors.
Additionally, he said, mining safety and environmental sustainability are priority areas for the regulatory agencies and his ministry.

“The mining industry therefore needs to adhere to proper mining practices, which must be based on knowledge of what is in the ground. Systematic exploration allows us to determine the quantity of minerals available for exploitation and gives us a good idea as to what level of investment will allow us to make a profit after mining and reclamation work is done. This must become the standard by which the industry operates,” Trotman said.

He also urged the miners to explore for other minerals and stones that are unpopular, given the low cost for gold on the world market. (agordon@guyanachronicle.com)

By Ariana Gordon