–President Ali tells small miners; commits govt’s continued support to stakeholders

–encourages formation of consortiums to maximise benefits   

PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali has assured small miners that the government is committed to supporting stakeholders in the industry.

In his address to miners in Puruni, Region Seven, on Friday, the President described the government’s approach as a “partnership” aimed at ensuring miners’ long-term prosperity while strengthening the country’s economy.

“We want you to be successful. We want all of you to be successful, but we want you to be successful and at the same time, contribute to the development of our country,” the President stressed, warning full compliance with mining regulations must be adhered to.

“The only fair thing when we invest in you is for you to follow the laws and to ensure that your operations are all in keeping with the regulations, and to ensure that you sell the gold to the rightful places, the Guyana Gold Board (GGB),” President Ali said.

He repeatedly stressed the importance of selling gold through legal channels, particularly the GGB, and making accurate declarations.

He related that official declaration slips would be crucial for miners seeking to access the banking system and expand their operations.

“When you need to go to the bank, those declaration slips will help you to get a loan to grow larger and larger… you want to get a loan to build your homes, those declaration slips are important,” the President said.

The Head of State also announced that teams would be sent into the mining area within the next three to four weeks to help both Guyanese and foreign workers regularise their status.

In addition, the government has already engaged commercial banks, which will be brought directly into the area so miners can open bank accounts on site.

“We want to help you so that you can have your bank account, you can save your money, you can own your home, we want to help you in this process,” he said.

Also, to ensure that miners can fully capitalise from the development bank, the government will spearhead financial literacy training.

He urged miners to form consortiums to further benefit from government incentives.

To this end the President proposed a small-miner consortium, with groups of miners co-located in defined areas so the government can provide shared services, technology and infrastructure more efficiently.

“We are going to work in identifying one area, bring a consortium of small miners, and have you located in that area so we can provide better services to you, so you can come together 100 miners, don’t need 100 trucks …if you’re together in one locality, instead of 100 trucks, we can help you invest in five trucks. You can then come together and have one set of equipment that support all of the operation,” he said.

Meanwhile at Bartica, the President suggested creating a unified contract for small miners to prevent complaints of being disadvantaged by larger operators.

ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY

He stressed the need for small miners to consolidate into groups for economic efficiency.

President Ali further disclosed that the government will support the establishment of a community policing group and provide concessions for vehicles. The group will also be armed and integrated to work with the local police to ensure miners’ safety.

The President urged miners there too to comply with the regulatory processes, noting that: “This is not about fighting with you. This is about preparing you for a necessity in the future. This is preparing you for what the future demands.”

Meanwhile, Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat informed miners of several measures outlined in the 2026 national budget to support them.

He pointed to fiscal incentives such as the reductions in duties on four-door pickup trucks and the removal of duties on all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), which are widely used in hinterland regions and mining districts.

“That is savings on almost $10 million on duty, and this is in keeping with our commitment that we will continue to incentivise the mining sector in our country because mining is important, mining contributes significantly to the development of our country, and you have a government and a President that supports the mining sector,” the minister said.

For the month of January, 53 individuals were arrested, charged and convicted as the government intensifies its nationwide crackdown on illegal mining operations.

The convictions stemmed from a range of illegal activities, including mining without a licence or permit; operating licensed dredges on mining properties without the permission of the property holder and the use of unregistered or unlicensed dredges.

President Ali had previously urged all gold miners to make a full declaration of gold produced in 2025, adding that registered dredges with no declarations will be deregistered, while illegal foreign miners must be identified for prosecution and expulsion.

These issues were raised by the President during a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) at State House.

In December 2025, President Ali had said that his government would pursue and shut down delinquent operators who continue to exploit state incentives while failing to declare their gold.

The President added that the government intends to overhaul systems that have enabled chronic under-declaration and illegal exports.

One gold smuggler alone stole more than $190 billion from the Guyanese economy, he had disclosed.