GEORGETOWN: Small-scale gold miners deserve the good life too. As Guyanese, they are entitled to that, says Minister of Governance and Head of the Department of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman.He made the observation recently in relation to the plight of small-scale miners at Marudi Mountain in Region 9 (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) who fear they might be evicted from the land on which they work in favour of a foreign large-scale miner.
The miners last week called on the government to take urgent action to regularise their mining of gold-bearing lands at Marudi. The group, organised under the Rupununi Miners Association, raised a racket last week because they said they were aware of recent moves by a foreign-owned mining company to resume operations in the area, which could see their being harassed and subsequently evicted.
THE ISSUE
The company at the centre of the controversy, the Canadian mining firm Romanex, was granted permission some years ago to mine at Marudi Mountain, but had ceased operations there over a year ago. Then, just recently, the company indicated a renewed interest in resuming operations there, thereby sparking concerns among the subsistence miners about possible eviction.
Asked what he thought of the situation, Minister Trotman said the government is in sympathy with the small miners, and is fully supportive of them, particularly those seeking to regularise their operations.
He said the President has always said there are three classes of miners in Guyana, namely: The small-scale miners who subsist by mining for their families; the medium-scale miners; and the large-scale miners, such as Guyana Goldfields Limited and Troy Resources Inc. And since all three categories of miners are considered bona fide, then the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) will therefore have to make provision for them.
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