GGMC closes several shops, other businesses in Puruni Landing raid

Mar 18, 2018 News

The operations that were closed by GGMC on Friday at Puruni Landing, Region Seven

GGMC officials on Friday closed several operations in the Puruni Landing area, Region Seven, but there is deep unhappiness.
Several shops, salons, restaurants, gold buyers and supermarkets were affected.
Yesterday, Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, insisted that the illegal operations in several parts of the gold mining areas just could not continue.
She appealed for the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to be allowed to do its work.
The exercise saw rooms of guest houses being boarded up as well as to other properties.
The raid was during the early morning, it was reported.

Puruni Landing is one of the most populated areas in the Middle Mazaruni, a gold-rich territory.
However, authorities have been receiving complaints of prostitution, increasing number of assaults and abuse of business licences.
With little regulation, the area has been leaking revenue with millions of dollars passing through the area but little taxes seen by Government.
According to Broomes, herself a miner, before she became a minister, there was indications of persons being granted licence to do one thing and then breaching the condition by renting it for other things.
Some persons have also “illegally” put down multi-million-dollar structures with little evidence of taxes for the government.
The minister also disclosed, yesterday, that recently, she took Minister Winston Felix, who is charged with Citizenship, and Lands Commissioner, Trevor Benn, to the area, as part of a regularisation outreach.
There are moves to regularise landings where employers have to declare their workers, and details of what they are there for.
This is to avoid instances of human trafficking, she said.
Some of the gold sold is not showing up in government revenues via royalties and taxes.
Gold is traded for services in the hinterland area. It is a common thing.
According to the minister, Government has unveiled plans for the hinterland with a bridge in the works for the Puruni crossing this year.
The minister promised an update as soon as she is briefed.

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