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McWilfred elected to head new mining body at Bartica
Executives of the newly launched Bartica Community and Mining Development Association last evening. Fourth from left is President Fred McWilfred.
In what can be considered as a major shakeup within the mining industry, Bartica yesterday launched its own association and signaled its intentions to meet with government shortly.
Calling itself the Bartica Community and Mining Development Association (BCMDA), the body also held elections naming Fred McWilfred as its President.
Also elected to the Executive were Simona Broomes, Vice President; Shawn Hopkinson, Second Vice President; Aroos Khan, Secretary and Raymond Khan, Treasurer.
The six Committee Members are Nizam Kassim, Julius Young, Krishna Persaud, Carol George, Chunilall Baboolall and Colin Hopkinson.
Over 120 persons from Bartica attended the meeting last evening. One of the leading organizers of yesterday’s meeting at the Bartica Regatta Pavilion was McWilfred, a former President of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), who resigned early last month citing differences with management of that body. The launching of the association at Bartica comes at a time when government is working on an overhaul of the industry and is awaiting a report from stakeholders on new measures. That report is currently being studied by Cabinet.
Kaieteur News was told that the association’s main aim is to pursue developmental work in the Bartica community and its environs. The organization also intends to further maintain and develop the small and medium scale gold and diamond mining industry as the economic mainstay of the community.
With its headquarters in Bartica, which has long been considered the gateway to the mining districts of Guyana, BCMDA also signaled its intentions to help the community examine the diversification of its economic base.
According to McWilfred, the association will now be moving to regularize its legal status and initiate several meetings with government and the stakeholders of the mining industry.
“While Bartica has a few large miners, the majority are small scale and the association will be concentrating on them,” he disclosed.
In January last year, Bartica went on a one-day protest which saw economic activities shut down, following a proposal by government to have miners give six months’ notice before commencing operations.
President Bharrat Jagdeo had ordered a special committee, chaired by Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, to make recommendations on the improvement of the industry. The Special Land Use Committee, which saw its life extended, handed in that report in the latter part of last year.
However, during last year, miners, especially the small scale ones, were uneasy and during elections of GGDMA for a President, Bartica through intense lobbying, managed to have McWilfred elected.
Since his resignation early December, the former GGDMA President had disclosed that he would be working to launch a separate mining association, but in Bartica.
The BCMDA says that it is open to membership for persons 18 years and over as well as organizations, once they are functioning.
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