I WISH to congratulate the Women Miners Association for their dedication and human services they are rendering at various interior sites.
Indeed, they have brought to light many problems affecting the miners and especially the small miners of Guyana.

The Women Miners Association has brought to light many issues which have been rampant in the interior, especially prostitution, alcoholism and drugs and trafficking of persons. I have written about these social problems many times in the past, but a deaf ear was put on them. It shows that an association of the players involved can indeed bring about a change.
I now call on all the small-scale gold and diamond miners to bond together and form a Small Miners Association, since there are many issues affecting the small man and there is no redress of the problems. I was ostracised once when I wrote about some of the big fishes feeding on the small ones.
The public is there to judge. I have personally consulted with some of the players in the industry and they have agreed and given consent for such a body.
With the impact of global, financial recession and environmental regulations in Guyana, small miners are faced with a high cost of production which may automatically force them to abandon their mining activities.
Towards sustainable mining!