THE Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) has announced plans to declare the largest ever production of the metal in 2013.

Towards this objective, it has launched a countrywide outreach programme with the main aim of increasing miners’ understanding about developments in the industry, to help the push for an unprecedented level of declaration this year.
The first meeting in the series was held at Charity, Essequibo Coast and saw a large turnout of miners and other stakeholders.
Speaking at that forum, GGDMA President, Patrick Harding called on the gathering to make sure that, this year, the small and medium mining group produces the most gold ever in the history of Guyana, surpassing the 2001 target achieved when Omai Gold Mines was at the height of its operations.
In 2012, the gold mining industry recorded one of the highest ever declarations by the small and medium scale miners, far more than the national targets set by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).
This year, the GGDMA has not fixed a specific target, since it expects to surpass all expectations and urges members to sell their gold to the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) and licensed dealers, Harding said.
Main reasons
He also explained that some of the other main reasons for the start of the outreaches is to address several particular issues, including the rise of malaria in mining districts; the need for increased security in interior locations; the reduced international supply of mercury and the necessity to explore new alternative recovery mechanisms.
Among other issues addressed were land allocation, improvement of interior infrastructure such as roads, the influx of foreign miners and the benefits of selling gold to the GGB and licensed dealers.
On the issue of malaria, Harding said the GGDMA  met officials of the Health Ministry several times to get greater action and request more work to help control the disease but only got some treated nets and a lot of promises.
This year, though, he said the GGDMA would demand that the ministry do more for the industry, failing which they will take the matter up with  the international agencies which fund the local malaria programme.
On the matter of security, he said the GGDMA welcomes the proposed changes in the Police ‘F’ Division and will fight for it to be given a better budgetary allocation to undertake all the work that has to be done in the hinterland.
Gold recovery using alternative methods was also discussed, since a reduced supply of mercury is expected due to international restrictions on its sale.
Best way
However Harding pointed out that the use of mercury has been recognised as the best way to recover alluvial gold in countries like Guyana and, while the Association acknowledges the need to look for other means, those have to be viable and efficient.
As a result, the GDMA has been working with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment for the continued use of mercury until a viable alternate can be found.
The GGDMA urged miners to do their work using best practices and to take careful note of the Association’s motto ‘Mining with the Environment in mind’, Harding said.
He said miners were admonished to ensure that they backfill areas after mining; that special attention is paid to the health and safety of workers and to follow the regulations established by the GGMC.