THE number of Guyanese employed at the Aurora Gold Mines (AGM), a subsidiary of the Chinese mining group, Zijin Mining, has increased by more than 400 per cent over the past year.

Having had 186 employees in August 2020, the company now has 896 Guyanese employees.

This was revealed during a recent visit to the AGM’s operation in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) by a government team that included the  Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh; Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Go-Invest, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop.

During the visit, the team met with senior management officials of the mining company and discussed the company’s investment and production plans.

“The gold mining sector continues to play an important role in the domestic economy and remains one of Guyana’s leading foreign exchange earners. Growth of the industry is expected to create a significant number of jobs for Guyanese workers. The company, to date, has employed 896 Guyanese, up from 186 in August 2020,” Dr. Singh noted in a Facebook post.

Zijin acquired the AGM in August 2020 after purchasing it from the Canadian-owned Guyana Goldfields in August 2020 for a total of US$238M. Production at the company was restarted under the new management in November of that year.

The company aims to produce between 95,000 and 100,000 ounces of gold by the end of this year.

Dr. Singh noted that while there, the team emphasised to the AGM officials the importance of maintaining timely completion of the investment schedule and achievement of production targets, while ensuring compliance with the strictest of safety and environmental standards.