…Trotman says ‘things need to get better’

STAKEHOLDERS within the mining industry have made some progress in getting the authorities to address issues which affect them– a process which Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, believes augurs well, but he is of the view that “things need to get better.”
Concerns, opinions and recommendations were tabled during a meeting among representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), the Guyana Women Miners Association (GWMA) and the National Mining Syndicate on Thursday at the Cara Lodge, Georgetown.
“The meeting was very open…no one was told not to say certain things although harsh comments were made, but I believe I needed to hear it,” said the minister in an invited comment to the Guyana Chronicle.

According to him, all the stakeholders who were present at the meeting had the opportunity to express their concerns about the state of the industry and the perception that government was not taking them seriously enough.
Some of the issues that were raised include access to mining lands, taxes, bad roads and the tributors tax. Stakeholders also used the opportunity to point out the alleged “irregularities” taking place at the GGMC.

Vice-President of the GGDMA, Andron Alphonso, pointed out some of the alleged irregularities, which include allegations of persons’ lands “shrinking” when they renew their contracts and the inefficiencies of the “stock sheets” that are not reflective of the reality.
In addition, he said persons now have to wait six months to change their permits from prospecting to mining, which gives other miners the opportunity to capitalise on it. Alphonso, as such, emphasised the need for GGMC to become more service- oriented because miners are the ones who contribute to the work of the commission. It was suggested that the commission focus on helping the operations of miners to become more profitable. Although all of the issues were pertinent, Minister Trotman made specific reference to the GGMC, saying that there were allegations of them not responding in a timely manner and so forth. He however said the level of dysfunctionality is not unique to the commission.

“We will address the concerns of the miners…I will speak to colleague minister about the issues because nothing is without a solution and we found good solutions,” he said. The minister expressed his pleasure in the commitment of the stakeholders to work closer together and have a more collaborative approach to dealing with issues.
He went on to say the process which they have started will continue because it brings out views, opinions and good recommendations to fix perennial problems. Stakeholders will, as such, meet again next week to continue the discussions.
Alphonso said he welcomes the cooperation, adding that they were pleased with the responses from the ministry. It was mentioned that there are many things in the industry that need to be fixed, but through constant engagements they can keep moving in a positive direction.

“We need more engagement, especially now that we have a united movement with the women miners, the GGDMA and the syndicates…we are moving with one voice, so we are hoping to make more of an impact by being more constructive,” Alphonso said.
The GGDMA vice-president said despite the importance of the potential oil industry, gold should not be forgotten and placed on the backburner. In addition, he posited that oil and gas should not be a replacement for gold or any other industry, but it should be considered as an addition to the resources.