In what can be described as another significant day for mining in Guyana, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission Joe Singh, and Executive Chairman of the Reunion Manganese Incorporated David Fennell yesterday signed a mineral agreement formalising the partnership between the two parties for the next 25 years.
The agreement sets the framework for the continuation of prospecting by the company which is gearing towards a minimum-sized mining operation with the hope that, as it continues to prospect, it would discover enough reserves to enlarge its operations.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that the company has made significant progress since its entrance into Guyana’s mining industry because of its serious intent to restore the manganese operations in Matthews Ridge, Region One.
“When we look back many years from now, this would be a significant day for mining in Guyana. We have travelled very far very quickly,” the Prime Minister said.
He added that over the past days President Bharrat Jagdeo was involved with the parties in relation to the proposals for the agreement.
The agreement, Prime Minister Hinds said, developed from the basis of the Omai Gold Mines agreement which was developed at the end of the 1980s and early 1990s, with assistance from the Commonwealth Secretariat and the United Nations Agency for Transnational Companies and their relations with developing countries.
This agreement, however, had to be updated because of the advancement in various relevant areas, the Prime Minister explained.
Although natural resource mining entails hard work and building strong relationships which are needed to find the synergies from various groups, it also gives the opportunity to make reasonable earnings, the Prime Minister said.
Executive Chairman of Reunion Manganese Inc., David Fennell, also shared the Prime Minister’s view that the signing of the agreement is an important milestone for the country.
He is confident that with the team which is leading the operations, “Matthews Ridge’s days have just started and if we applied modern science and a little bit of luck, we are going to be able to create a mine there and we are well on the way to doing that.”
He added that Reunion Manganese is happy to be part of the development of Guyana’s natural resources.
The GGMC Chairman is also pleased that the necessary documentation formalising the agreement has been completed.
Prime Minister Hinds, who has responsibility for mining in Guyana, and the GGMC Chairman signed the agreement on behalf of Guyana, while the Executive Chairman of Reunion Manganese Inc. signed on behalf of that company.
In Matthews Ridge, the company is building on the remnants of the first manganese company which ceased operations in that community in 1968.
During a visit to Matthews Ridge on March 23, President Bharrat Jagdeo visited the manganese operations and committed that Government will work with the Reunion Manganese Company which is engaged in several development projects in that community.
One of these projects is the upgrading of the road linking Matthews Ridge to Port Kaituma.
The Head of State said that instead of splitting efforts, Government will work together with the company as it will have the responsibility for maintaining the roads to facilitate their operations. (GINA)