Latest update November 8th, 2024 1:00 AM
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Mining Court mulled as Govt. warns no more free passes
Minister of Governance, with responsibility for the Natural Resources and the Environment,
Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman, meeting with the Board of
Directors of the GGMC yesterday. Also in picture is Minister within the
Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes.
Raphael Trotman, has charged the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission’s (GGMC) Board of Directors to step up its efforts to ensure a safe and secure mining sector is achieved.
The Minister declared that stricter measures will now have to be taken by that agency to ensure that the laws are enforced and upheld.
The charge was issued to the Board yesterday afternoon at the GGMC offices on Brickdam.
Present at the meeting were members of the board, including Chairman Clinton Williams; Director Gerry Gouveia; Rickford Vieira, Commissioner of GGMC; Terrence Adams, President, Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) and Lisaveta Ramotar, Head of the Guyana Gold Board (GGB).
According to Trotman, the days for “free passes” are over and it is now time that the mining sector be placed on a safe and stable footing.
The Minister referred to President David Granger’s speech at the first gold pour at the Aurora Gold mines a few weeks ago, where the Head of State promised tougher monitoring to ensure safety and environmental regulations are adhered to.
Trotman insisted that GGMC must ensure it holds miners accountable for their lawless practices.
“The responsibility for the environment is not solely that of the state. It is the responsibility of those who own and operate mining concessions to ensure that after they would have ceased operations they do not leave these huge abscesses on our landscape, but that the land is reclaimed by nature,” he said.
The Minister of Governance pointed out that as it stands, the sector has attracted criticism. “The thrust of this, is the manner in which, the industry is viewed and regulated. It has to change. We must protect and preserve our national patrimony for the others to come.”
Calling for better regulations, Trotman underscored the Government’s zero tolerance for corruption and graft. “That is the policy of the government.
The Minister, the Commission and the Commissioner must work together and cooperation and respect must be given to each other.”
He said: “It is our job to provide infrastructure. That’s a governmental function, but we need to ensure the security and safety of the sector. We need to improve health and environmental practices. They [miners] have been given a free pass for too long. We have to put them to work. An environmental bond of $100,000 is simply insufficient and we must address this,” he declared.
The Minister also told the Directors of the Board that the granting of duty free concessions must now come with an attached condition, which is that, miners must practice safe and sustainable mining.
“You’ve got to show that you are paying your taxes; that you haven’t left lands with gaping holes and you’re practicing safe mining.
At the end of the day to qualify, you’ve got to show that you are mining in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.”
The Minister of Governance also said that the Government was examining the possibility of the re-establishment of a Mining Court, which will deal strictly with mining related matters so as to minimise the time spent on such matters in the Civil Court.
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