70,000 employed in mining sector, directly and indirectly
Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat
Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat

THE annual Mining Week has been scheduled for August 21 – 27 and will involve a number of activities to commemorate the celebration, which will be held under the theme “Emerging from adversity, transitioning to sustainability.”

With mining being one of the biggest productive sectors in Guyana, Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, noted that it is essential that the sector continues to be given recognition.
“Before oil and gas it was the largest contributor to our GDP. So we are pushing the mining sector a lot and this is something that our government have always been committed to, because regardless that we are oil producing nation and we’re getting revenues from oil we will continue to incentivise and grow the non-oil economy and mining is a big part of that,” Bharrat said.

According to the minister, the sector directly employs approximately 30,000 Guyanese and another 40,000 indirectly and must be given prominent recognition. He said the Government will continue to create incentives to work with all stakeholders in the mining sector to ensure the sector remains vibrant.

“It’s an important sector for us,” he said.
The history of mining in Guyana and its significance to the economy go back more than a century as Guyana has long been recognised as an established mining nation and one of the Caribbean’s fastest growing economies.
In this year’s Mining Week, focus is being placed on ensuring activities do not take place only in Georgetown but is decentralised and held throughout the various mining regions in Guyana.

“What we’re going to do is not to centralise the activities. We will carry activities to all five of the mining districts. There will be a number of activities around the country and not just in Georgetown as we celebrate the activities and highlight mining and Guyana,” Bharrat said.

Organised by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the activities will commence with a cocktail reception and opening ceremony on August 21. Outstanding operators in the field, including top producers of gold, diamonds and bauxite will be honoured.

This year, a two-day “Quarrying, Mining and Exploration Conference” will be held during the period 22-23 August by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC)
On August 24, the mining school will be hosting a seminar and training session for miners and prospectors. The training will be four short courses that will include Occupational Health and Safety (OSH), which will address mining pit safety and general occupational safety in the sector; GPS Navigation training; the potential of locally available semi-precious stones and a display of jewellery pieces from the students of the jewellery course; and the potential of non-mercury gold recovery methods.

A “Business, Arts and Craft and Poster Session” will be held from August 21 to 24. The session will see the mining community and the local jewellers showcasing their products and projects throughout the events at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

On August 25, a “Mining Tour” raffle will be held whereby 45 attendees of Mining Week 2022 will win a day tour to a mining operation location.
On August 26, the annual Customer Appreciation Day will be held by the GGMC. During the exercise, the GGMC will show appreciation to the miners, especially at the small and medium scale level, for their continued commitment to meeting their obligations as they continue to be the main drivers of the mining sector in Guyana.

The events will conclude on August 27 with the traditional “Pork Knocker Day Celebration” in Mahdia, Puruni and Port Kaituma.  Activities will include batelling, warishi race, shove in bucket and various other traditional mining-related games.

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