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Plans to reduce mercury use, brand Guyana’s gold, support small miners in 2026 – Min Bharrat
Plans to brand Guyana’s gold, expand purchasing systems, support small miners and reduce mercury use were among key initiatives outlined on Tuesday by Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat during the consideration of Budget 2026 estimates.
Minister Bharrat told the Committee of Supply that the government is advancing standards for the gold and jewellery industry, including a national branding initiative.
“We have been working on a standard especially for jewellery, gold, and very soon we’ll be launching that programme to have our Guyana gold branded, and a brand that will be known worldwide,” he said, noting that the initiative is expected to attract investment and boost tourism.
Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat (front centre) and his staff in the dome of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
Mobile purchasing, higher cash limits
Responding to questions about the Guyana Gold Board’s operations, the minister said there are currently no short-term plans to open a fixed office in Region Ten. Still, mobile gold-purchasing systems are being considered for mining communities, including areas in Regions Seven and Ten.
He also noted that the cash-payment limit for miners has already been increased.
“Recently… we would have increased the cash payment by the Guyana Gold Board to $6 million from $1.5 million,” Minister Bharrat said, adding that authorities will continue to monitor gold prices to determine whether further adjustments are needed.
The minister reported that stronger enforcement and engagement with miners have led to improved declarations.
“We had a declaration of 81,000 ounces of gold in December — never happened before,” he said, adding that small and medium-scale miners declared approximately 317,000 ounces for 2025.
The natural resources minister stressed that ongoing compliance operations are not intended to displace miners but to ensure production matches declarations and that activities remain legal.
The government is also working to make more land available to small miners through structured developments and lotteries in Regions One, Seven and Eight, similar to the Issano-14 Miles model.
At the same time, a national mineral-inventory project using aerial surveys is nearing completion and is expected to improve land allocation.
“That will put us in a better position… to identify areas with greater signs of mineralisation,” the minister said.
Mercury reduction and new technology
Minister Bharrat also addressed efforts to reduce mercury use in mining, noting that Guyana, as a signatory to the Minamata Convention, is promoting alternative technologies.
“There are alternatives… that will increase the recovery rate significantly,” he said, explaining that mercury-free systems can raise gold recovery from about 35–40 per cent to as high as 70 per cent.
He added that many medium-scale operators are already adopting these methods, while the government is encouraging small miners to form groups or consortia to invest in the technology.
The minister said these combined measures, improved regulation, better data, expanded land access and technological upgrades are aimed at strengthening the gold industry while protecting the environment and ensuring greater benefits for Guyanese miners. (DPI)
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