Latest update February 9th, 2026 12:35 AM
Foreign gold miners given 24 hours to up declarations – President Ali
…illegal operators to face prosecution, expulsion
…MNR, GGMC to enforce declarations, deregister non-compliant dredges
(Kaieteur News) – Foreign gold miners, particularly Brazilian nationals, operating in Guyana’s mining sector, who have had low to zero declarations have been given 24-hours to fully comply with local laws and the requirements surrounding gold declaration.
Those operating illegally will also face prosecution and expulsion, President Irfaan Ali announced Friday.
In a Facebook post, the president said he met with the leadership of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) at state house, where instructions were given to immediately ordered to address non-compliance in the gold mining sector.
Scenes from the meeting President Irfaan Ali held with officials from MNR, GGMC and GGDMA
According to the president, all gold miners must fully comply with their obligations to declare all gold produced in 2025. He further directed that all registered dredges with no declarations will be deregistered. “All foreign miners operating illegally in Guyana must be identified for prosecution and expulsion. It was also noted that some Brazilian miners operating in Guyana have had very low or no declarations. These miners have 24 hours to comply fully with the laws of Guyana and the requirement to declare to the Guyana Gold Board,” the post stated.
Moreover, it was also announced that the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) and the MNR will work together to ensure that all miners, across every category, are registered with the ministry and have a local bank account.
President of GGDMA Ronaldo Alphonso, who was also present at the meeting, urged miners to adhere to the laws and only sell their gold through legitimate channels to protect the long-term viability of the sector. “It is our responsibility as miners to ensure the sustainability of the industry. We need to make it compliant, and we need to declare gold. Make 2026 the year of compliance and declaration,” Alphonso said.
This meeting with officials of MNR, GGMC and GGDMA follows a recent announcement by President Ali that there will be a comprehensive assessment of Guyana’s mining sector to be completed and presented on January 5, as the government moves to strengthen accountability, environmental protection and production compliance across the industry.
President Ali had explained that the assessment will review every mining licence, claim, and operational decision, with firm action to follow where miners fail to declare production or hold lands without productive use.
The head of state also announced that gold declarations will now be linked to mercury purchases to reduce under-declaration, environmental harm, and illegal activities in the industry. “We are going to link the mercury they buy with their declarations. If they have land that they are working on and there is no declaration, those lands will be repossessed,” the president stated.
He stressed that environmental destruction without production will not be tolerated. “There is no sense destroying the environment if there is no production,” President Ali added.
He observed that the mining sector, which faced a serious decline, has recovered, thanks to significant financial incentives that have helped protect miners and workers during global crises and supported communities near rivers and in remote areas.
This publication had reported that Guyana’s gold industry had experienced a steady decline in declarations between 2019 and 2023, falling by approximately 209,000 ounces, according to the Bank of Guyana’s annual reports. However, 2024 saw a modest increase of 1,954 ounces — from 432,113 ounces in 2023 to 434,067 ounces in 2024. Despite the marginal rise in output, gold revenue for 2024 climbed to US$989.9 million, a US$180 million increase over the previous year, largely due to higher global gold prices. According to the 2025 Mid-Year Report, Guyana’s gold sector showed stronger signs of recovery in the first half of 2025, with a 10.9% increase in output driven by higher declarations from the only large scale gold producer in Guyana, Aurora Gold Mines and small-and medium-scale miners.
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