…in light of killing of gold miner, attacks on traders

By Vanessa Braithwaite
FOLLOWING the ‘gunning down’ of gold miner, Deon Stoll, while he was about to transact business at a city establishment, there have been heightened calls from members of the mining sector, for the decentralisation of the Guyana Gold Board services in all mining regions, as this would contribute to both the safety and convenience of miners, seeking to sell their mineral.
Strides have been made by the Guyana Gold Board to decentralise these services. This service deemed ‘mobile buying’ has already benefitted miners in the Potaro-Siparuni Region, with a temporary office established in Mahdia.

However, there is need for this service to be spread out, even if it is on a temporary basis. With the government’s efforts to decentralise crucial public services, particularly in the capital towns, including the new ones, the establishment of a gold board in these towns will definitely ‘stir’ their economy.

This was the reasoning of President of the Linden Chamber of Commerce, Victor Fernandes, who said that, while Linden is not a gold mining town, it is the gateway to many of these destinations and the benefits of setting up a branch in Linden will be two-fold: it will benefit the miners since they would not have to travel all the way to the capital city and it will benefit the township, since the miners will, in turn, use that same money to purchase goods and access services, thus putting a dollar in the pockets of so many, along the chain of supply.

“It will definitely be a positive impact on the economy of Linden, persons coming from the various districts, it will be safe and easier for miners to stop and do their transactions and this will be of great benefit to Linden. There will be a greater cash flow which is needed in Linden, the business sector will get a boost, since the miners will make their purchases right here and then return to the mining locations,” he said.

This was the case in Bartica, where a branch of the Gold Board is located. Mayor of Bartica, Gifford Marshall, said that, the Gold Board being in his town, is part of the wider decentralisation drive that the Government has embarked on. In benefitting the miners, he said it brought greater efficiency and reliability in terms of timeliness and of course safety, since their security would have been significantly boosted, not having to travel long distances with large amounts of gold or cash. With miners from across the Region, benefitting from such a service in Bartica, it has also created a ripple effect in its economy.
Would welcome such a move

Speaking to one miner on the matter, Wendell Washington, he said that as a resident of Linden, he would definitely welcome the move. “First it was less wear and tear on your vehicle, less mileage, less gas. That means less money spending. Second, you stop home, you sell your gold, and spend time with your family, you buy your stuff and return to the back dam,” he reasoned, adding, “and with what going on, you would feel much much safer, cuz crime don’t happen so in Linden. It GT, you have to be watching round your shoulder, sometimes you can’t even sell all your gold one time because you don’t want to be in Town with so much money,” he posited.

The small miner also recommended that the Gold Board implements a system, where monies can be sent directly to the purchasers’ accounts rather than to present them with liquid cash.

This though, is in the pipeline of the Guyana Gold Board, according to its Chairman, Gabriel Lall, especially for small and medium scale miners. At its Bartica office, he said direct transfers are already done for familiar and trustworthy costumers. While the plan is to avoid miners to be walking around with large amount of cash, thus being susceptible to robbers, as was the case with Stoll, stringent measures must be put in place, to ensure accountability. “We have to make sure the gold you bring is tested, we have to check the source of the gold and so on…but we are looking to keep abreast with this, particularly with the small and medium scale operators because the large-scale miners have their apparatus that they use, but we don’t want the others to walk around with so much cash. We have to make sure the gold is safe and that they will be certain that the money is there (in their accounts).”

Relative to efforts to continue its decentralisation, Lall said that it is the vision of the Gold Board to take the services to the mining regions, but it must be done to what is required of the sector and be compliant as well. Decentralised services are continuing in Mahdia and will be further expanded in the near future. Lall said that, in moving forward, there are several factors to consider in ensuring that the move will be a viable one. “We want to replicate that (service in Mahdia), to where it makes business sense to us, we also have to weigh in on the weather and the condition of the roads to these places and then balance the cost of travel, because, under these conditions, it becomes arduous…but yes, it is on our drawing board and part of our plan to expand our wings and our foot prints,” Lall posited. Another factor that is being deemed a challenge in the decentralisation process is the availability of commercial banks, in these locations.

President of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, Terrence Adams, said that the Association welcomes the move as many miners have been calling for it. Transacting business with the Gold Board, he said, guaranteed that one will get money for the right weight of gold. Relative to the investigation regarding Stoll, Adams said that justice would prevail.