More investment in the local economy is anticipated through the transport and utilization of mining equipment by Brazilian miners since their use of the Guyana/Brazil road should be more cost effective to their operations, according to Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Robeson Benn.

At the moment the foreign nationals transport their equipment to Guyana via sea for small and medium scale mining operations.

“We have to recognise the presence of the non-nationals as a representation of foreign exchange into Guyana,” Benn said in a recent interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA). He placed investments made into the local economy by the Brazilian miners between US$10M to US$15M over the past few years.

Guyana’s increased declarations in diamond mining over the past two years has been linked to the presence of Brazilian miners whose employment of new technology has yielded positive results.

Benn said further that because of Guyana’s porous borders there might always be a large float of persons entering the country, but he confirmed that some 15 to 20 non-nationals are currently at various stages of being documented.

The GGMC Commis-sioner noted that work permits and accompanying documentation were originally intended for use by non-nationals upon their arrival through the regular port of entry, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.

However, he pointed out, because of Guyana’s close proximity to Brazil by virtue of the Lethem trail, a significant number of Brazilian miners come into the country to work in the diamond field, GINA reported.

“There are a number of persons who are at various stages of regularisation in terms of documentation,” Benn disclosed, adding that if a person moves from one mining district to another, his mining privilege has to be changed.

He also said that the GGMC and the Ministry of Home Affairs are continuously engaged in regularisation exercises to ensure the proper documentation of non-nationals working in the minefields.

However, Benn noted, expulsion is the most stringent sanction legal authorities could implement against undocumented non-nationals, but this would damage the mining industry.

Meanwhile, a high-level team from the Ministry of Home Affairs and technical officers from agencies tasked with establishing the physical infrastructure of the Guyana/Brazil Road Transport Agreement recently visted Lethem to examine the Lethem-to-Linden road project, GINA said.

The visit represents part of this country’s efforts towards the implementation of the Guyana-Brazil Road Transport Agreement which will govern the physical movement of goods and people between the two countries following the completion of the road.

According to GINA, the visiting delegation is expected to identify possible locations for the establishment of police stations and outposts, customs, immigration and forest wardens’ checkpoints, truck and bus stops and sanitary conveniences. In addition, the team is to earmark likely points for traffic signs along the road that will link Guyana to its southern neighbour.