Miners body not getting support from foreign prospectors -Shields
Stabroek News
December 27, 2002
The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners' Association (GG&DMA) says that foreign miners are not contributing to its fund-raising activities and it has renewed its opposition to Brazilians holding permits for medium-scale mining.
Last year, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission started regularising the stay of illegal Brazilian miners - the so-called garimpeiros. Thou-sands of garimpeiros are thought to be working in Guyana's gold and diamond fields and concerns have been expressed about their environmental practices. On the other hand, the garimpeiros have been welcomed for the money they are pouring into mining and the technology they bring to the industry.
At the body's year-end meeting last week, GG&DMA President, Stanislaus Jardine said that apart from Omai Gold Mines Limited and two Brazilian miners, foreign miners do not contribute to the body's fund-raising activities.
GG&DMA Executive Secretary, Edward Shields explained that since September, the association has been asking miners to donate $100 every time they sell gold to the Guyana Gold Board. The Board had been mandated, by the association, to collect the donations.
"We have raised, in that exercise, $650,000 approximately. We are looking for this to be a major fund-raiser for next year," Shields told the gathering at the association's Quamina Street office.
But Jardine pointed out that every executive member had signed an agreement to make a contribution, but what is noticeable, is the non-contribution coming from the foreign miners.
"There are Brazilian miners who are in this country making a living...and I know that Brazilians are aware that such a fund-raiser is going on at the Guyana Gold Board for the Miners Association. They know where to go and find the gold, they know where to go and find the diamonds; they know where they can get the cheapest truck. They know where to get the benefits... They get $800,000 remission on their motorcycles. Local miners don't get that. So I think we must take notice that these people have not been cooperating [and this] is disturbing, very, very disturbing," Jardine stated emphatically.
Meanwhile a proposal to open up medium-scale mining to non-Guyanese was voted down by members of the association. Small and medium scale mining is reserved for Guyanese. But Jardine told Stabroek News that the association would not intervene where Guyanese take out the blocks and allow Brazilians to mine the areas.
Apart from that, Shields sought to bring miners up to date on the changes in the industry which he said would have a great effect on miners.
Among these would be a revision of the normal rate of land rental starting January 1.
"As you are aware, [that] for the past three years, the association had negotiated a 50% reduction on your rental fees. So most of you who have properties had been paying 50% of the rental. At this time, GGMC is pushing very hard for it to go back to 100%. We have been trying to put a hold on it as such...We have nothing in writing that says that they have put a hold on it, but I have an understanding from the Prime Minister [Samuel Hinds] that it will not go into effect from January 1," Shields said.
He stated that the association was seeking a compromise on the issue, one which would see persons who have properties standardising the amount of tribute that they will charge for their land.
Shields said the idea behind this is to eliminate what he called the "landlordism" that is taking place in the mining industry. He said very often, people have the advantage of getting their land at a reasonable price, then they have others work it for a greater percentage.
"I don't know if people realise that is happening to the extent, that the GGMC budget for 2003 has already included this increase... The other thing that we are looking at - in 1997, through representation by your association, the Prime Minister had issued an edict which allows persons with prospecting licences, medium-scale, to mine gold and to get their rewards for the gold, which is really against the law [since] you are supposed to mine for gold when you have a mining licence. However, that is also on the chopping block."
Shields said the association is moving towards having those persons apply for mining permits.
