FOLLOWING objections by a few individuals to discredit the Special Mining Lottery held yesterday in Lethem, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) said it was the largest such exercise ever in the Region Nine district.

The GGMC earlier confirmed 126 allottes out of a total of 290 with most of the interest coming from the Lethem area. As such, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud has advised that a follow-up lottery be held for those miners, including Amerindians who were not eligible, but will be able to participate at a later date through the waiver of the equipment requirement to benefit from the remaining special mining properties.
The lottery was organised following a commitment by Minister Persaud to satisfy requests from miners and residents of the various mining districts for more mining properties to be made available.
However, a few individuals who themselves were involved in illegal mining activities were spreading misinformation and misrepresenting the efforts by the GGMC to regulate the mining sector, and to provide more mining lands for legitimate miners.
Further, there were also claims that the lands proposed for the Special Mining Lottery which was held yesterday is within Amerindian titled lands or within proposed extension to titled lands within Region Nine.
Contrary to this, the GGMC confirmed that all mining lands identified for the lottery within Region Nine are under the management of the GGMC and are not within Amerindian titled lands or within proposed extension to titled lands.
Additionally, the Commission has recorded successful responses from Special Mining Lotteries held in other Mining Districts such as Kwakwani, Mahdia, Bartica and Port Kaituma.
Meanwhile, the GGMC will continue, with its mandate in accordance with the Mining Act and Regulations, to make available more mining properties to legitimate miners, and at the same time ensure all mining actives are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

(Ministry of Natural Resources)