‘Shut down illegal mining, shops if you want to stop gold smuggling’

Jul 01, 2024 News

– GGDMA urges Govt.

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) on Saturday posited that if the government of Guyana wants to stop gold smuggling, it must start by clamping down on illegal mining, illegal shops (commonly known as bush-shops) and the unregulated gold trade in the country’s gold mining district.

“Illegal mining, illegal shops, and the unregulated trading of gold within the interior are the pillars upon which the illicit gold smuggling enterprises survive,” stated the GGDMA.

The Association blamed the main regulatory body of the Gold Sector, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) for allowing the illegalities to flourish over the years because of its lax enforcement.

GGDMA said, “Over the years, turning a blind eye to repeat offenders and merely slapping them on the wrists has fostered a culture of unabashed lawlessness” before adding “Illegal operators openly disregard the orders of the GGMC and brazenly make violent threats against anyone trying to stand in their way”.

The mining body said that there are no real consequences for illegal miners because when the authorities shut them down and seize their equipment, they would return to work the very next day as if nothing happened.

GGDMA said it has been repeatedly calling on the GGMC to step-up its enforcement of the laws over the last ten years and added that government also needs to clamp down on illegal landings (areas where locals would set-up small bush shops to earn) if it is really serious about clamping down on gold smuggling.

“In the past, there were a number of gazetted areas in the interior where trade could take place, now it is common practice for persons to set up itinerant trading posts (aka, “landings”) at will”, the mining body stated before explaining that it has led to many being set-up and not being properly regulated.

“… illegal gold buyers set up shop and buy directly from unethical miners who are willing to sell their production for higher prices, free of any paper trail, without paying any royalties or taxes,” GGDMA said while adding that “These landings are also hubs for human trafficking, the sale of illegal drugs and weapons”.

GGDMA believes that if the government shuts down these illegal activities in the mining areas, then definitely the gold declaration will increase.

“It is time the government also engages its financial agencies such as the FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit) and SOCU (Special Organised Crime Unit), to investigate these many shop owners and mining operators who, despite having massive operations, do not declare any significant amounts of gold” the mining body stated.

GGDMA also called on the government to investigate public servants who allegedly take bribes and turn a blind eye to the illegal activities taking place in Guyana’s gold mining sector.