WITH the aim of decentralising the services of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to the people of Guyana, Junior Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources Simona Broomes, took a team to Bartica on Tuesday to kick start the new venture.
Using the GGMC office in Seventh Avenue Bartica, the team along with the minister, held an open day where miners came to voice their concerns with the team and have it worked upon immediately. The team also facilitated applications for permits from interested individuals in the town.
Minister Broomes said that there are several GGMC branches across Guyana, however, only the head office in Georgetown provides the services most miners need, such as applying for permits. Because of this, persons from near and far would have to travel all the way to Georgetown to have their concerns addressed.
This, Broomes said, the ministry is looking to change.
“Miners travelling to Georgetown to transact their business at the head office should be a thing of the past. We are working to better serve the mining sector, and decentralisation is the first step,” she posited.
Broomes also highlighted that the easiest thing to get into in mining, is conflict, and she believes that working together on a solution is the answer. It was against that backdrop that the ministry and GGMC have been working hand in hand to better their service to property holders.
In addition to physically going into the mining areas to conduct such sessions, the minister said that they are also looking to set up an online database where persons can have their applications done online. The internet service in the rural areas pose some challenges, she said, but that is being worked upon.
Acting Land Administration Manager at GGMC, Unata DeFreitas, said they are excited to be extending their services to locations such at Bartica, at the behest of the minister.
“What our division is responsible for is administering all land tenure processes. So if a person sees a portion of land in Guyana and they are interested in prospecting that portion of land with the interest of taking it to a mining operation, we process for prospecting and for mining permits and licenses,” DeFreitas explained.
Judith Blair, a miner in Bartica, said that she is very happy with what is taking place for the very first time in their town.
“I must thank the ministry and the government for such a move in this time where people are very frustrated in respect to mining. But today we are very happy for the first ever, to have an open house with the ministry. And Bartica being the gateway to the interior, where mining is considered the first and foremost of economic [activities] for the development of Bartica and Region Seven, this is what we need,” Blair said.
She pointed out that there are a lot of issues being faced in the mining industry that need to be addressed. Issues such as permission, ownership and landlordism. However, Minister assured that those issues will be sorted in the near future.
The miners were also reminded that Minister Broomes has an open door policy, and this is due to the fact that she believes that miners need guidance and support. As such, they were encouraged to reach out should needs be.
In the interim, the minister said that an old stalwart in the mining sector in Bartica, Merile Jones, was recently involved in an accident and damaged her back, causing her to become bedridden, minister said Jones has been a miner for 25 years and she is still committed to the sector.
Due to her condition, Minister Broomes presented Jones with a wheelchair to assist her with mobility. The joyful woman expressed great appreciation for the kind gesture and encouraged miners to stay committed and work together to better their lives and the industry at large.
