– chairman says in anniversary message

CHAIRMAN of the Guyana Gold Board GHL Lall, has said that the body must make hard decisions in order to continue fulfilling its obligations and the expectations of the public.
Lall made the comments in a message on the occasion of the Guyana Gold Board’s 36th anniversary being observed today, May 15, 2018.

“The Guyana Gold Board (GGB) stands at the crossroads, on this its 36th birthday. Given forceful championing and the right latitude, the GGB can rise to deliver on its obligations, as well as expectations. The time is now for hard decisions to be made at many levels, and with appropriate resources identified, so that robust implementation can follow. In this way, the Gold Board can, and will take its rightful place as a significant national contributor and be recognised as such,” said Lall.

He noted that the hard work ahead will only bring success through the unflagging support and efforts of “political stewards, sector participants, and a cohort of committed, and conscientious workers.” He said, “The work at hand and in the days ahead is known and measurable; and so, too, are the obstacles, regardless of the source or believed sophistication.”

Also in a message, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman said the role of the Guyana Gold Board is not without challenges,“ and with prudent management and a commitment by all to utilise best practices within the industry, we are daily overcoming these challenges.”

He spoke of the role that the Gold Board as a regulator in the natural resources sector would need to play given the country’s green development trajectory, and called for continued transparency and accountability. “As the minister with responsibility for the sustainable extraction of gold resources, I urge that transparency and accountability continue to guide every activity, as we grow from strength to strength,” said Minister Trotman.

General Manager of the Guyana Gold Board, Eondrene Thompson said that at this juncture, “while it calls for celebration it also calls for forward thinking because, without question our greatest accomplishments still lie ahead of us.”

She said the Board has many success stories as well as its fair share of mistakes. “We’ve learned from our mistakes and celebrated our successes. Embracing change, having the courage to meet challenges and re-engineering have been core to our sterling contribution to the economy,” said Thompson. “There are a variety of factors that contribute to this success, among those are hardworking employees, doing what is right when no one is watching and dedication to delivering an exceptional customer experience,” said Thompson.