Miners calling on govt. for decentralisation of services

Mar 31, 2017 News

The Guyana Women Miners’ Organisation (GWMO) is calling on government, particularly the Ministry of Natural Resources to put measures in place to decentralise services which are necessary for the participation of miners who wish to apply for mining land.
The mining group said yesterday in a statement that it has continuously made a case to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and the Ministry of Natural of Resources that not every miner can afford to travel from their place of work, to the city of Georgetown for simple services since many miners come from far-flung areas.
As a result, the GWMO strongly believes that decentralisation is pivotal to miners’ participation. The group noted that in early 2016, it was the promise of Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman at a small miners’ meeting that lands would have been made available to those who were desirous of owning mining land.
Their call therefore comes after the GWMO would have assisted a number of its members with their applications for land after the Closed Area Committee (CAC) had announced its Land Distribution Process.
According to the organisation, the process had faced a major problem since the information which was advertised regarding the process did not add up in actuality.
“The advert outlines that the application forms would be available at Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the GGMC’s website and Mines Offices. However, the reality was that the forms were only available at the Headquarters of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission; thus denying countless miners access to the process.”
After being informed of the dilemma, the GWMO’s Executive body decided to muster its Regional and Community Representatives to find a solution for the miners. As such, application forms were distributed to the Regional Representatives who mobilised miners in areas including Mahdia, Port Kaituma and Bartica.
The GWMO said that the access of these miners to application services has been an issue affecting all six mining districts. Further the group said that this is coupled with landlordism and it believes the only way out is to allow miners access to land.
After the aggrieved miners were assisted by the GWMO, a total of 50 applicants were selected and are now new land owners. The group said that it remains committed and diligent in helping its members and the mining community at large to resolve the numerous issues within the sector.
“The majority of the beneficiaries of this process are first time land owners and women. Women who have been carrying the burden of providing for the household and guiding the family. The ripple effects that start as a result of empowerment of a woman can never be understated.”
It was only last April when President David Granger had said that all of the government functions which are centralised should be decentralised. Granger was at the time fielding questions on the Ministry of the Presidency’s ‘Public Interest’ televised programme.
He said that each administrative region should have a capital town, so that important services such as banking, public services, National Insurance Scheme offices, the Guyana Revenue Authority offices, among others, can be distributed across Guyana for the benefit and use of all Guyanese.

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Miners calling on govt. for decentralisation of services

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