Members of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) are displeased with the performance of the new cadre of and managers at the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).
The Association is of the firm view that the inadequacies in leadership at GGMC are taking a toll on the industry. These sentiments were expressed in a letter sent to Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman by GGDMA President, Terrence Adams.
In the document seen by Guyana Standard, Adams relates to the Minister that there is an urgent need to take a helicopter look at the mining industry. Adams told the Minister that the leaders at GGMC somehow have emerged with the misguided mind-set that it is their job to “stymie and frustrate the local mining sector.” He said that they seem to have lost sight of the fact that their mandate is to stimulate sectoral growth.
That being said, Adams called on Minister Trotman to make a direct intervention and provide clear instructions to guide GGMC on promoting and stimulating the growth of the industry as well policing it.
Adams stated, “We suggest, you cannot rely on the Board of Directors (BOD) to provide this leadership role when the staff have no respect for the BOD and have often stated publicly that the BOD members are not qualified to be providing directions to them (being the highly skilled and trained scientists they perceive themselves to be!). The BOD Chairman (Stanley Ming) himself has recognized this when he said in a public meeting with the staff, that he rates the performance of the BOD and his Chairmanship a 4 out of 10. If this does not speak to a GGMC in crisis, then we do not know what does!”
The GGDMA President then outlined some immediate actions which can be taken to jump start the predicted Year-on-Year growth in gold production on which the Government has based its forecasts for 2018.
The actions include the fast tracking of road maintenance especially those which lead to current centres of local gold production. Adams also suggested that there be a reintroduction of the incentive to fund and support the drive to identify and adopt appropriate industry best practices.
Adams also said that there should be an adoption of better technologies to improve the current 30% gold recovery and the reduction and responsible use of mercury.
