Miners seeking Govt. incentives for mercury-free gold push

Feb 17, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – With Guyana committed under the Minamata Convention to cut mercury use in mining by 55% by 2027, a leading mining advocacy group is calling for urgent government incentives to help small miners make the transition.

The appeal came as the Artisanal Gold Council (AGC), in partnership with the Government of Guyana and the U.S. Department of State, marked the close of its two-year Roadmap to Responsible Gold Project in Georgetown.

In an interview on the sidelines of the event, Country Manager Vasquez Ramdas said the project was designed to support Guyana’s commitments under the Minamata Convention on Mercury. “That’s just a year from now. So, what we have done, our project is really designed to support that national strategy, to reduce the use of mercury and whereby feasible to eliminate completely,” Ramdas explained.

Roadmap to Responsible Gold Project was implemented over two years and aims to support Guyana’s efforts to promote safer, mercury-free, and more responsible artisanal and small-scale gold mining by working directly with mining communities, government agencies, and technical institutions across key mining regions.

Ramdas noted that throughout the project, AGC introduced mercury-free mineral processing technologies like helicoid concentrator cones, which uses gravity, centrifugal motion and water to recover gold.  The group also showcased two smaller equipment, gold cube a portable mining equipment and blue bowl, a specialised equipment designed for fine gold recovery.

“We have worked with the mining communities there to build capacity. We have done demonstrations with them, training them to operate the equipment and the maintenance of it…but the idea really was to promote that technology, to showcase the technology, to show miners that it is possible to recover gold without the use of mercury,” he noted.

Demonstrations were conducted in various mining communities in Region Seven and Eight, like Mahdia, Tiger Creek and Campbelltown, with support from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). Ramdas said miners were trained to operate and maintain the equipment, and demonstrations were extended to surrounding communities to show that gold recovery without mercury is possible.

According to him, while feedback from miners was largely positive, cost remains a significant hurdle. “They were very happy that a project of our nature could come to their community and actually demonstrated technology. While they were happy, at the same time but there was a large concern that most of these technology are very costly,” he said.

He noted that the equipment is not readily available on the local market and can be expensive to acquire and transport due to its size and weight. He disclosed that AGC is now working with partners in Colombia to develop smaller, more portable units at a reduced cost. “It’s not readily available, meaning it’s not in Guyana as a market, but is available on the market if a miner want it, they can reach out to us,” he noted.

However, Ramdas stressed that stronger collaboration among stakeholders like the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, will be critical to accelerating adoption.

“So you would need the government involvement to incentivize equipment. As it is, as we speak, there is no incentive for mercury in terms of producing mercury free gold.  We are emphasizing on the government to create incentives around that, to recognize mercury free gold, to recognize the miner who is producing mercury free gold, to even create incentive for him to have duties removed from the equipment, having equipment that produce costs. Those small assistance would be very overwhelming to the miners, for them to make that transition from traditional methods to actual technology,” he added.

During the ceremony, Professor Thomas B. Singh presented findings from his research paper, “The Economics of Artisanal Gold Mining in Guyana,” which underscored the sector’s economic importance while highlighting persistent structural challenges. The AGC Guyana team also shared results from field operations and community engagement activities carried out under the project.

René Roger Tissot, Executive Director of the Artisanal Gold Council, emphasized the importance of keeping people at the center of responsible mining initiatives. “Artisanal miners are often spoken about as a problem, when in reality, they are skilled workers, entrepreneurs, and the backbone of many local economies,” Tissot said. “This project shows what can be achieved when governments, development partners, and miners work together in genuine partnership—grounded in respect, dignity, and shared responsibility.”

The Artisanal Gold Council is a Canadian-based non-profit organisation working in more than 35 countries to improve livelihoods, health and environmental outcomes in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector. Moreover, last week, Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat during the consideration of Budget 2026 estimates outlined plans to brand Guyana’s gold, expand purchasing systems, support small miners and reduce mercury use.

The Department of Public Information (DPI) reported that Minister Bharrat stating, “There are alternatives… that will increase the recovery rate significantly,” he said. The minister explained 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.

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• Artisanal Gold Council, gold, Gold Mining, Mercury, small miners

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