…large miners worry, urge swift action by GGMC
By Vanessa Braithwaite
THE Guyana Gold and Diamond Miner’s Association (GGDMA) on Thursday complained about incessant raiding of lands in the mining districts and have called on the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to urgently fix this situation which has negatively impacted their earnings. Vice-President of the association, Andron Alphonso, told the body’s Annual General Meeting in his report that raiding has become a much bigger problem than it was in the past. He gave the affected miners full assurance that the issue will be dealt with forcefully. Alphonso revealed that though law-enforcement officers have tried to tackle the issue, in some cases physically removing the raiders, it is only a matter of days that they return.
“This level of lawlessness must be addressed,” Alphonso declared, while calling on the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission to impose stronger sanctions against these raiders who continue to show lack of respect for the rule of law. Wayne Habeli, a miner from Bartica, stressed that he is a living example of his land being raided and has not been receiving any satisfactory representation from the GGMC and the Guyana Police Force. He revealed that he was even charged for representing his own land that was raided by a Brazilian national.
“The guy was on the plot raiding land for three years, I made nuff report to GGMC, I actually make four helicopter trips at the cost of $900,000 per trip to stop that raiding, GGMC ain’t doing nothing…I could afford it, but what about the small miners?” he asked.
The miner said that after nine months, the Brazilian raider was still working his land and though he won the case, there was no compensation for the minerals that were extracted from the land. Similar sentiments were expressed by another miner who requested anonymity and who owns and mines land in close proximity to the Venezuela border. He said that his land is being raided by Venezuelans who are everyday creating a greater presence in not only the North-West District, but other places.
A recommendation was made to have the Guyana Defence Force create a presence in the interior, since the police are having difficulty stamping out raiding. Vice-President Alphonso revealed that there has not been any definitive solution to the problem, but the suggestion will be taken to the relevant authorities.
The miners said there is a nexus between illegal raiding, trafficking in persons, prostitution and drug dealing. This is often reported in the media, thus shedding a negative light on the entire industry.
“The linking of these types of establishments with the mining community further heightens the negative perception of our miners that we are in favour of the this out-of-order behaviour and it is not good for the image or reputation of the industry,” Alphonso said. He called on all miners to not be involved in these activities and to legally apply for lands.
Members of the GGDMA acknowledged the contributions of the larger companies, especially in providing jobs, but are urging the government to create a level playing field for small miners by granting equal concessions enjoyed by the larger firms. Concessions in the areas of fuel, spares and vehicles were granted to local miners, but a lot of small miners did not benefit from same. The miners are also calling upon the government to remove the Value Added Tax from all heavy-duty machinery, as it is integral to the development of mining in Guyana which significantly contributes to the country’s economy.
The miners are calling upon President David Granger to meet with them to discuss the various challenges being faced by these small miners who are keeping the economy on a continued growth path.
“The GGDMA has been requesting a meeting with His Excellency President David Granger for quite some time…we would definitely call on him to meet with us as there are many pressing matters to discuss…some matters can only be addressed with the President,” he said.
