Following Ministry’s direction… GGMC’s Board commences review to improve systems 

As a result of numerous reports against the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, coupled with the recommendations of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, the Board of Directors conducted a review of the Management Systems and practices for critical departments/divisions of the Commission.  The exercise commenced in December 2014 and was aimed at reviewing the operations of the Mines Division, Land Management and Geological Services Divisions of the Commission to determine the coherence of the structures and functions, the adequacy of its staffing, the flow of its operations, and to identify systemic problems and other conflicts and deficiencies. The team of consultants was also required to investigate whether the activities of the specific departments/divisions were aligned to the overall strategic plan for the sector.
The Commission was and still is cognizant that any deficiencies within the management framework and current practices can contribute to non-fulfillment of the Commission’s objectives, and can possibly lead to the presence or possibility of undesirable acts of malfeasance. In addition to identifying the potential gaps within the management system that could lead to unwanted practices, the team of consultants were also required to provide recommendations aimed at bridging the identified gaps.
The Inception Report was submitted by the review team to the Chairman of the Board of Directors in February, 2015, and was forwarded to the Board for review. The report provided insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the various departments, along with areas of conflict that required specific interventions at the level of the policy makers.
On March 24, 2015, the consultants were invited to present the report officially to the Commission and stakeholders of the sector, namely, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association and the Guyana Public Service Union.
At this presentation, the critical gaps and deficiencies that were identified by the review team were highlighted along with clarifications on specific matters contained in the report. There was general consensus that the presentation of the consultants Inception Report was of an excellent quality and the overall objective of the review was achieved, since areas of critical intervention were earmarked that would allow the evolution of the Commission to serve the needs of an evolving and growing mining sector.

Further, it was agreed that the consultants would engage the stakeholders (GGDMA & GPSU) over the next two weeks to address areas of concern and finalize the report which will provide critical input in the conclusion of GGMC’s Strategic Plan which is to be reviewed by the Board.
Some critical recommendations made by the consultants for the consideration of the Commission were:
1.      Reformation of the Mining Laws and Regulations to address “landlordism” and “beneficial-occupancy”, as well as the allocation of expired/relinquished PLS and the upgrading of small scale properties to large scale properties.
2.      Restructuring of the Divisions of the Commission to ensure that similar functions are not done by various divisions – overlapping of functions such as mineral titling.
3.      Ensure the adequacy of trained and professional staff for the Commission.
The work of the consultants are ongoing and will continue with the objective of streamlining the Commission into a more efficient organization, better equipped and designed to serve the needs of the mining sector by creating the enabling environment to support its continued growth and development.

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