-Mining body happy with findings
THE SPECIAL Land Use Committee (SLUC) set up to look at issues affecting the gold-and- diamond-mining sector has completed its work, and members of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Mining Association (GGDMA) are happy that  the   report to be submitted to Cabinet  reflects the sentiments of all miners. Executive members of the GGDMA made this disclosure during an interaction with miners and other residents of Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) last Monday.
In an update to the residents on the status of the work of the SLUC,  established by President Bharat Jagdeo,  GGDMA President, Mr. Frederick  McWilfred disclosed  that the committee has completed its recommendations, and a report has been prepared by Transport and Hydraulics Minister, Mr. Robeson Benn, its Chairman.
This report, McWilfred said, is now being reviewed by members of the committee to ensure that it adequately reflects the discussions.
“Once the report is approved,” he said, “it will then be sent to the President Jagdeo and his Cabinet members for final discussion and a decision on how the sector will progress.”
He reiterated that the report reflected the sentiments of all miners, and that the GGDMA is  confident that their recommendations will be taken seriously.
The SLUC, headed Minister Benn, had been set up earlier  this year by President Jagdeo to look into concerns by gold and diamond miners that the Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) would affect their operations and their livelihoods.
An Committee official told the Chronicle a few weeks back that the SLUC  had been   committed to reaching consensus on all the issues.
Committee secretary, Ms. Rosemary Benjamin-Noble, had said that the SLUC resumed meetings in March, and had intended to keep on meeting until all the identified issues and concerns of miners and other forest users are fully considered and resolved.
During a lull in meetings  earlier this year, the SLUC had been  expanded to comprise its original members and four miners who represented persons from Bartica, Mahdia and the North West District.
These representatives, she said, had been elected at meetings with miners in these respective communities, and their representation was as a direct result of an assurance given by  President Jagdeo that the  small miner would be given a voice on the SLUC.
The Committee comprised  Minister Benn as Chairman; Mr. Odinga Lumumba, Presidential Adviser; Mr. William Woolford, Commissioner (Ag) of the Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC);  Mr. James Singh , Commissioner of the Guyana Forestry Commission; Mr. Edward Shields, Executive Director of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA);  Mr. Timothy Junor, Small Miner’s Representative, Mahdia;, Mr. Ramesh Deonarine, Small Miners Representative, North West District,  with Mr. C. St. Romain as an alternate; and Mrs. Simona Broomes and Mr. Frederick  McWilfred, Small Miners Representatives of Bartica, with Mr. Colin Hopkinson as alternate.
The agenda included issues which were raised by the miners during their encounter with President Jagdeo on February 11, such as land reclamation and  support for exploration and infrastructure.
The Committee has been meeting once per week prior to completing its work.
Additionally, the SLUC participated in GGMC-sponsored meetings with miners at Bartica and Port Kaituma on March 19 and 26, with similar topics being discussed, plus the  recommendations of the SLUC and their impact.
These meetings were followed by a similar meeting between the SLUC and miners at Mahdia on April 9 in pursuit of consensus.