GGMC remains a preeminent Institution of State

Aug 07, 2016 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

---

(The Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC) celebrated its 37th Anniversary in July.  This is an achievement that the Commission should be justly proud of.  The staff and affiliates who have been employed or otherwise associated with it, celebrated with it.  Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael G. C. Trotman, spoke on behalf the Government of Guyana.  Here is an abridged version of his address)

 

I recognize former Commissioners and employees of GGMC, as well as miners past and present.  All of you have made monumental contributions to the growth, development and continuation of the mining industry. I bring congratulatory greetings from His Excellency President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Members of Cabinet and indeed the entire Government of Guyana.  We all are appreciative of the immense contributions you have made to the development of the extractive industries.
We know that the GGMC was formed out of the early British Geological Surveys to discover the economic mineral resources for the benefit of the British Empire.  We heard of the pioneering exploits of Robert Schomburgk, the Prussian who pioneered the surveying and mapping of those resources. Today, even with the benefit of satellites and GPS mapping, the work in our extractive industries is still the same – laborious, difficult and dangerous, and at the same time exciting and rewarding.
GGMC remains a preeminent Institution of State that has the responsibility of ensuring that the patrimony of the state, the gifts of God as I would like to refer to them, are shared and enjoyed equitably by all Guyanese for today, tomorrow, and for centuries ahead. This is the sacred responsibility placed into our hands, one that we must discharge faithfully.  There is no avoiding, escaping or diluting it.
President Granger talks about the “six sisters”, the traditional drivers of Guyana’s economy – rice, sugar, gold, diamonds, bauxite and timber.  The GGMC is responsible for three of these, the three upon which Guyana totally depends. This is a heavy responsibility that should not be treated lightly.
For many centuries sugar ruled the day, and for decades (in the last century) it was bauxite. In these contemporary times, it is gold that undergirds the economy. Gold declarations up to June 2016 reached 327,000 ozs with a projected target of 600,000 ozs by the end of this year.
Over the years, a viable gold and diamond mining sector has emerged and continues to hold its own.  Approximately 120,000-plus individuals are positively affected by this industry, personally and commercially. A local and regional Air Services sector has emerged as have interior communication/transportation networks by roads and rivers.
The nation has been watching closely and we’ve observed that the GGMC continues to perform well even in the face of the challenging issues that confront you daily.   We are also dealing with reports of unbecoming behaviour of a few officers in the fields; we have received a litany of complaints from miners about the inadequacy of technical and financial support, and the unavailability of mining lands, particularly at the small scale level.
We have been eradicating these issues but there are other challenges hampering the sector. We have identified two main priority areas that will guide the Commission over the coming years:–
1) Continuous improvement of the GGMC’s structure and operations
2) Regulations pertaining to miners and stakeholders’ operations in the mining sector which includes our impending petroleum sector.
Our organizational priorities will be:
i) To enhance the image of the mining sector in general, and of the GGMC in particular, by promoting research, surveys, efficiency, transparency, order and accountability
(ii) To create opportunities for the further development of the Commission’s human resources
(iii) To tackle some specific challenges hindering the sector by developing and putting into effect a Mining Policy Framework to inform its long-term development
(iv) To urgently equip the Guyana Mining School to deliver a new prospectus that will train staff and potential employees to function well in our imminent oil and gas industry
(v) To place more emphasis on bauxite mining and production, and on extraction of lesser known minerals, e.g. semi precious stones and rare earths
(vi) To ensure that the caveats regarding land reclamation and good environmental management are adhered to by everyone involved – miner and overseer alike.
Our priorities for miners include ensuring that Occupational Health and Safety requirements are met; higher yielding lands are available to all categories of miners; and promoting higher standards by encouraging the use of advanced mining technologies which will improve product recovery.
The attention of the world is trained on us as we prepare to step over the privileged threshold of prosperity enjoyed by oil and gas-producing nations.
The anticipated benefits are plentiful, but the burdens can be catastrophic if we mismanage this opportunity.  We must faithfully and carefully manage every aspect of the industry such as safety, security, observance of the law, preservation of the fragile environments, safeguarding the host and adjoining communities, and just as importantly, preserving the state’s patrimony.
The Petroleum Division of the GGMC will soon undergo some necessary changes to transform it into a responsive regulatory agency able to scrutinize and hold to account the companies, local and foreign, involved in drilling, storing or transporting product on or offshore.
Very soon we will share with the public draft Legislation for your comments, then it will be placed before the National Assembly later this year.  The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana will continue to work with the management and staff of the GGMC and its Board of Directors to ensure that efficiency and integrity remain in place, are respected and upheld, and that the wellbeing of all stakeholders is enhanced.
In this regard, I am pleased to announce that the issue of the GPSU’s proposal for an across-the- board salary increase for 2015 has thankfully been resolved.

---

---