The Gold Mining sector buoyed by Government’s statements
The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) welcomes the continued commitment to the sector given by the Government of Guyana. Recent positive statements by the Vice President and the Minister of Natural Resources regarding the critical importance of the mining sector to Guyana’s current and future development is well received by miners.
The sector feels buoyed by the support and understanding demonstrated in relation to the contributions and struggles facing the sector. The GGDMA has always maintained that mining is a major contributor to Guyana. The Guyana gold and diamond mining industry employs tens of thousands of Guyanese and is also the generator of billions of dollars in disposable and discretionary income that energizes businesses in all other sectors of the country. Over the years the GGDMA has advocated for improvements in environmental stewardship and the sector has made several significant strides in this area as a consequence of partnering with recognized environmental organisations such as Conservation International and the World Wildlife Fund on various projects in the past. The GGDMA remains a non-political organisation that will continue to lobby for the interests and benefits of miners and the industry, we are ready to work with any credible agency to advance the interest of mining and miners in Guyana. The GGDMA does not recognise “one-man” organisations or lobbyists with questionable motives and sources of funding from biased international interests that seek to take “bread” out of the mouths of Guyanese thereby depriving the nation of socio-economic advancement. These ideologues seek to vilify Guyanese miners as they do the bidding of certain forces who would much prefer to see our nation stay “green” and poor rather than maximize the benefits of our natural mineral wealth. The GGDMA is a pro-mining Guyanese organisation and our membership embody the independent entrepreneurial spirit of Guyana. Over the years miners have moved from battel to excavators to crusher plants and we will continue to fight for the advancement of the mining industry in spite of certain anti-mining detractors whose relevance is inextricably linked to continually maligning Guyana’s extractive sector. : The GGDMA continues to encourage its membership to declare their production accurately, to only sell their production to the Guyana Gold Board or licenced buyers, collect their receipts and regularly request statements from the Guyana Gold Board of all royalties and taxes paid to ensure : :
