THE Board of Directors of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has disclosed that departments and divisions of the Commission are being reviewed with a view to bridging potential gaps within the management system that could lead to unwanted practices.A release from the Board has said that a review of the management systems and practices for critical departments and divisions of the Commission is being undertaken due to numerous reports against the Commission and following resultant recommendations from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNR&E).

The review by a team of consultants targets the Mines Division and the Land Management and Geological Services Divisions of the Commission to determine the coherence of the structures and functions, the adequacy of staffing, the flow of their operations and systemic problems and other conflicts and deficiencies
The team of consultants is also required to investigate whether the activities of the specific departments and divisions were aligned to the overall strategic plan for the sector.
The review is expected to provide critical input in the conclusion of GGMC’s Strategic Plan to be approved by the Board.
Providing the rationale for the review, the Board said that it was cognisant 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.
The review by a team of consultants commenced in December 2014 and the inception report, the Board, said was submitted by the review team to the Chairman of the Board of Directors Clinton Williams in February 2015.
The inception 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.
Reformation of the Mining Laws and Regulations to address “landlordism” and “beneficial-occupancy”; the upgrading of small scale properties to large scale properties; restructuring of the Divisions of the Commission to ensure that similar functions are not done by various divisions and ensuring the adequacy of trained and professional staff for the Commission, were some recommendations made by the consultants for the consideration of the Commission.
The consultants presented the report to stakeholders of the sector, namely, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) on March 24th last.
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.
The Board said the consultants are expected to engage the stakeholders the GGDMA & GPSU, over the next two weeks to address areas of concern and finalise their work, the release added.