Environment Ministry and GGMC engage prospective and mining licence holders
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Minister Robert Persaud

— rights, responsibilities and expectations unveiled
PROSPECTING and mining licence holders are being urged to conduct their activities within the confines of the law by Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud.
During an engagement with prospecting and mining licence holders, to educate them on their responsibilities and expectations of the law, held at the Red House on High Street, Kingston on Thursday morning, Minister Persaud brought clarity to a number of issues and concerns raised by the miners.
In delivering the feature address, he told the gathering that the meeting was convened on the grounds that there was disconnection in regard to the rights, responsibilities and expectations that the laws have of the holders of licences.
He assured the gathering that, through different channels, the authorities were aware of certain developments taking place in the sector, and the dialogue was initiated before any programme of engagement and disengagement was implemented, so that, at the end of the day, no party could say they had not been aware of rights and responsibilities.
Minister Persaud added that government was very concerned about the number of inactive prospective licences (PLs) that exist, as in excess of 300 PLs were on record as issued.
“We are also concerned about the numbers that have been renewed, because a PL cannot be extended. And I know (that) sometimes people believe that it is their right to enjoy some form of extension.”
Another situation raised was in regard to persons transferring or entering into arrangements providing for the property in the area to be traded on the stock exchange without any reference to the GGMC, contrary to what is required.
In addition, the issue of reporting had also being brought to the fore, as some miners did not update the authorities on what was taking place. While some miners were adhering to the laws, some were not doing so, Minister Persaud lamented.
According to him, persons have been mining on PLs and giving persons to mine on the said PLs, contrary to the law.
He said the authorities were aware of PL holders who had entered into mining arrangements with persons, and after being caught, they denied having knowledge of the arrangements. This, he said, violated the laws.
Persaud emphasised that it was the responsibility of the licence holder to ensure that, once allotted an area, its boundaries were complied with. However, in moving forward, government would be examining revocation of PLs, which is within the confines of the law.
He emphasised that once a person had been awarded a property for prospecting, that person was expected to be present at the property to know what was taking place. Nevertheless, if for some reason that holder could not manage the property; the holder should revisit the GGMC to engage the option of re-scoping the area.
He highlighted instances when field staff had overlooked violations on the ground, assuring that mechanisms were to come on stream to bring such practices under control.
“(Those are) very serious issues in terms of dealing with that,” Persaud added.
Companies with large amounts of PLs were also referred to, as the practice prevented other Guyanese from engaging in miming, and tied up areas that could have been made available for mining and other natural resource activities.
Persaud made it clear that the mining resource of the country belonged to all, and must be ensured to be properly managed.
Persons were expected to take a proactive approach in undertaking prospecting activities, as some companies were doing.
He was of the firm view that government’s willingness to renew and extend PL had diminished; a strong case had now to be made to justify an extension.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Kampta Persaud, whose presentation dealt with the obligation of prospective licence and mining licence, noted that the licences covered areas, by law, of a minimum of 500 acres and administratively a maximum of 12,800 acres.
In the large scale tenures, the recognizance permissions were granted under Section 97 of the Mining Act for geological and geophysical surveys.
The small and medium scale property titles were restricted to citizens of Guyana, or companies of which all the shares being held were by Guyanese citizens. This was to avoid the situation where all the country’s mining grants were owned by foreigners. Foreign companies and local individuals apply for large scale tenure of prospecting licences.
Minister Persaud explained that in order to obtain a prospective and/or mining licence, one must fill out a standard form 5D, pay a total of US$1000 application fee, and submit a work programme on budget for the first year’s activities. A submission of a map with cartographic description of the area and proof of financial capability was also necessary.
A technical justification of the area applied for should accompany the application, showing the programme matching the area.
However, the GGMC would only process the application after the requirements had been met, and those requirements would subsequently be forwarded to the Board of Directors of the GGMC for approval, after which the official gazette will be sent for publication.
A period of three weeks was set aside for objections, after which the GGMC would undertake to write the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment for approval, before the applicant is given a month to pay the rent and submit the performance bond, which is 10% of the approved budget.
He further explained that the law provided that a period of one month be made available for payment, but not for the submission of the bonds.

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