In fulfilling a commitment to make more mining properties available for small and medium scale

miners, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment through the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC,yesterday, successfully conducted a lottery for the issuance of 388 special mining permits in all six mining districts:
Kwakwani, Mahdia, Bartica, Port Kaituma and Lethem.
The lottery is part of a holistic strategy involving several initiatives being undertaken by the government to support small miners and to ensure they have an opportunity to access land for mining.
Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, had earlier stated that calls were made by small miners for access to more lands for mining and it is anticipated that the lottery provided favourable opportunities for all interested miners.
The lotteries were held simultaneously in the various mining districts at Linden Enterprise Network (in front), GFC Building at Kwakwani, Port Kaituma Community Centre and Bartica Market Square, and were conducted by senior staffers of the GGMC and members of the Board of Directors of the GGMC.
Over the past few weeks, field staff of the ministry hosted sessions to provide technical support and guidance to potential applicants within the various mining districts that participated in the lottery for special mining permits.
Successful participants will be invited to a sensitisation programme, while their mining permits are being processed, where presentations will be delivered on the accessibility and geological interpretation of the areas to ensure proper mining practices and management.
This is the second such initiative by the government for 2012, and a fulfillment of a commitment by Minister  Robert Persaud. In the first lottery held on March 13, 2012, a total of 360 special mining permits were issued.