GYEITI appointment sparks outrage

Nov 11, 2025 News

---

— Policy Forum Guyana says Ivor English’s mining ties raise conflict concerns

(Kaieteur News) – The recent appointment by Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, of Dr. Ivor English as Convenor of the Civic component of Guyana’s EITI Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) raises serious concerns about impartiality and governance, according to Policy Forum Guyana- a locally-based rights group.

According to the group, Dr. English has extensive ties to the mining sector. “In 2014, he was granted gold-mining concessions totaling 19,586 acres by the then Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud. These concessions were later subdivided into 17 separate permits, 13 of which were medium-scale mining permits (MSMPs), each with a maximum size of 1,200 acres,” PFG said in a statement issued on Monday.

According to the group, the minister’s press release announcing Dr. English’s appointment spoke about his membership in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, highlighting the number of adherents, which it claimed is a wholly irrelevant qualification for administering GYEITI. “It made no mention of his ongoing involvement in the extractive sector or the potential for future mining activities.”

However, Minister Bharrat told Demerara Waves Online News that Dr English’s appointment poses no conflict interest because he has not been actively engaged in mining for gold, diamond or sand. “Our evaluation determined that Dr English presents no conflict of interest relevant to the role as convener of a civic society organisation,” Bharrat is quoted in the online publication as saying. He further stated according to Demerarawaves that Dr English holds no active mining property in the extractive sector, as alleged. “He acquired mining blocks in the Cuyuni Mining District 4 in 2014, approximately 11 years ago. There has been no mining activity on those mining blocks since he acquired them. There has also been no activity on a sand mining permit in Manaka since 2014,” the public stated.

But Policy Forum Guyana said Minister Bharrat’s statement contradicts Dr. English’s own statements regarding his mining activities. “Questions of propriety have followed Dr. English for years. In 2016, reports questioned whether he benefited from favoritism when granted permits. Kaieteur News (Dec 4, 2016) highlighted a Power of Attorney, seemingly signed by Dr. English and the then GGMC Chairman, Commissioner Clinton Williams, which authorised Williams to act on English’s behalf regarding his mining interests—despite Williams’s official role in approving the very permits in question,” the Policy Forum Guyana statement added.

According to the group Dr. English’s appointment represents the second attempt by Minister Bharrat to control civic appointments in GYEITI through secretive procedures. “Earlier this year, the Minister appointed the Chair of the Private Sector Commission, a decision later reversed following intervention from the EITI International Secretariat. The Minister’s insistence on controlling civic appointments is concerning, particularly given that GYEITI Reports document widespread irregularities and unlawful practices in Guyana’s gold-mining sector,” the statement noted.

Policy Forum Guyana said one prevalent illegal practice involves subdividing large-scale blocks into multiple medium-scale permits to avoid higher fees. “GPS data shows Dr. English’s permits are contiguous, with all licenses paid on the same day—raising serious questions about official collusion. While the Minister has the power to appoint the Convenor of the Civic component, he is not exempt from ensuring the process is impartial. In a fragile and polarised democracy, deliberate efforts to bypass transparent civic selection, including the exclusion of Policy Forum Guyana (PFG) from the selection process, undermine public trust. Both the civic and industry sectors submitted lists of MSG candidates earlier this year through processes that were widely accepted. The Minister’s rejection of these lists on the basis that the legal term of the MSG had ended in November 2024 is specious, especially since the same MSG was approved without issue in the 6th Annual Report in December 2024 after administrative delays,” PFG asserted.

According to the group, despite these concerns, Policy Forum Guyana recognises the critical role of GYEITI as a platform for transparent information on the mining, oil, gas, forestry, and fishing sectors—information otherwise inaccessible to citizens. “PFG will continue to participate in the upcoming MSG meeting at the Marriott Hotel and call on other civic organisations to engage fully in support of transparency and accountability.”

Last week ministry said English’s appointment was confirmed following an open and transparent review process by Bharrat, who also serves as Guyana’s EITI Champion. In Guyana, the Champion is responsible for appointing a Convenor for each constituency group on the MSG.  “It should be noted that the GCSDA represents one of Guyana’s most structured civil-society organisations, comprising over 68,000 active members and adherents across 31 pastoral districts. As a member of this non-partisan, faith-based organisation with no political or industrial affiliation, Dr English is uniquely positioned to serve as a Civil Society Convenor,” the ministry’s stated insisted.

“As Convenor, Dr English is tasked with guiding an open, independent, participatory, and representative caucusing process, in keeping with the EITI Standard for the upcoming reconstitution of the Civil Society Component within the GYEITI Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG). Notably, the Convenor will serve for two MSG terms (six years). The Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) serves as the principal body responsible for overseeing the implementation of the EITI Standard in Guyana. It is composed of twenty-four (24) members, with equal representation drawn from three key sectors: Government, the Extractive Companies, and Civil Society. Each sector is represented by four (4) Primary Members and four (4) Alternate Members, ensuring balanced participation and shared decision-making across all stakeholder groups,” the statement concluded.

---

• EITI, GYEITI, Ivor English, Policy Forum Guyana

---