Gold board accepting only smelted gold from March 1
Stabroek News
February 21, 2004
Miners and other persons dealing in gold will from March 1 be required to smelt the precious metal for declaration to the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) which will be purchasing it in smelted form only.
It is not immediately known what may have necessitated this move but sources have said it may be a means of improving the quality of the product being declared to the board.
Repeated attempts by Stabroek News to speak with General Manager of the GGB proved futile. A secretary at that office said that the GM indicated that she is unable to give any comment to this newspaper on the matter.
Meanwhile, Executive Secretary of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Asso-ciation (GGDMA) Edward Shields said he could not yet pronounce on the issue since the GGDMA still had to canvass its members for their reaction.
Shields however said that the GGDMA has been in contact with the GGB to discuss the matter but the absence of a board is holding up this process. The life of the last board expired at the end of January and no new board has been constituted for 2004, Shields said.
The mining official was particularly concerned about the process and methodology to be used by the gold board in smelting the gold, especially for miners with small amounts such as two to three ounces.
"We have not seen their equipment...and we will have to trust they have things under control," Shields said.
The GGB in a notice in the Stabroek News on Wednesday said that all gold miners and shopkeepers dealing in gold were being notified that from March 1, 2004 the board will be purchasing the product in smelted form only.
According to the notice, miners or shopkeepers could either do their own smelting in advance or they could have this done at the board at the time of sale.