GOLD miners who are members of the Berbice Mining Syndicate are calling for urgent action to remove an unmanned barrier on a roadway to lands in the Upper Berbice River, which has forced them to abandon plans for exploration and mining in the area.
Mr Kempton Wade, President of the Syndicate said that members of the newly formed group found their way blocked by a heavily padlocked barrier a week ago,  while they were on their way to the Berbice Mining District on an expedition to explore lands in the Parish Peak and Cannister Falls areas.

“This is a public roadway and the barrier was totally unexpected.Additionally,there was no one there to open it. So we left the coast with the intention of doing some exploration in the Upper Berbice area, but due to this barrier, we had no alternative but to turn back and  return  without any information whatsoever ,” he said.
The Berbice Mining Syndicate was formed in February last with the support of Junior Minister in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes.
He added that the barrier   had caused the group to incur losses in both time and money.
Wade  said that the group members had since  investigated this matter and found that the barrier had not been set up by  Government authorities, but by the owner of a   privately-owned  company and was  therefore illegal .

“Additionally, officials at the  Ministry of Natural Resources  have confirmed that the barrier was illegal, but so far we have not seen any urgent action to remove this obstacle. This issue has become very frustrating for our members,” he said.
“We want access to this part of the Berbice Mining District. We are Guyanese, we are Berbicians and we have a right to access. We have not been told that any private individual has a right to block any public road in Guyana,” he stressed.
He said he hoped that urgent action would be taken not only to open the heavily padlocked barrier, but to remove it  completely, since members  would not want to be allowed  past the barrier going in only to find their way blocked when coming back out.