Dear Editor
AS a miner for over two decades, I am shocked at what is now happening with the mining lands in this country. The Commissioner of GGMC has taken it upon himself to illegally convert Prospecting Licences (PL)into Mining Permits.

This is a corrupt practice, the  sole aim of which is to undermine the mining regulations with impunity and allow  persons with big money and big connections to pick and choose the best mining lands in this country.When the PPP government converted Prospecting Licences into mining permits we complained, pointing to the mining regulations; experts highlighted the fact that it was illegal. The PPP skirted the laws by saying the practice fell under the subject minister’s discretion and was scarcely used under “special circumstances”.

There was absolutely no transparency and the practice became a big-money business under the PPP. There were allegations of corruption and money laundering, favouritism and even the execution-style murder of a GGMC employee, who was said to be tied to the practice.This APNU government has now joined in the same illegal practice of the previous government; I do not believe any GGMC commissioner would be so bold to blatantly attempt such mass illegality without government approval.

The GGDMA unsurprisingly fully supports this illicit act and their president seems to be more informed on what is happening than the minister. What the GGDMA president neglected to say, however, was that the members of his organisation are the main beneficiaries of this illicit practice.What does the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) have to say about these conversions?

It is that agency which gave the tax concessions and foregoes billions in taxes and other government revenues to facilitate the Prospecting Licences. What about the tax concessions, import duties, customs duties and VAT waivers the GRA gave these PL holders on SUVs, ATVs, excavators, bulldozers, land cruisers, pick-up trucks, fuel etc, etc, etc.

Their silence is as deafening as it is suspicious.Somebody needs to investigate though, whether it is the President of Guyana who is responsible for all lands in this country, SARA as these lands are State assets, Ministry of Natural Resources which is the subject Ministry or GRA for tax evasion, fraud and money laundering. Something smells very fishy, where are TIGI, SOCU and the subject minister, why the silence?

Regards
Mr. Jones (Miner)