GGMC sets strict requirements for lottery of 100 mining blocks

– participants must be residents of Mahdia; cannot own other mining blocks

The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) will be putting up some 100 mining blocks for a lottery in Mahdia, with stringent requirements that applicants must be residents of Mahdia and must not be holders of any other mining properties.

According to the notice announcing the move, the lottery will be hosted on December 11, 2019, and will give persons a chance to vie for 100 prospecting permits. Registration involves a non-refundable fee of $5000.
Registration has to be done on Tuesday, December 10, 2019, at the GGMC’s office on Brickdam, between 08:00h to 10:00h. The lottery itself will be held from 11:00h and will be open only to Guyanese.
“Interested persons may consult the relevant maps which are on display at the GGMC head office and at the Mahdia mining station for information on the blocks available for allocation. Lottery maps are also available at a cost of $3000 per sheet,” the notice had specified.
“Participants shall not be the holders of any mining properties. Only one application is permissible from an individual or entity. Allottees will be required to file an application for the awarded block by February 14, 2020. Applications not filed will result in the award being considered abandoned,” they said, adding that participants found to be non-residents of Mahdia will be disqualified.
The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has opened some 319 blocks of land within the six mining districts and small-scale miners were allowed to partake in a lottery process to obtain a plot.
Through the Natural Resources Ministry with assistance from the Closed Area Committee (CAC), stakeholders were tasked with selecting a district of their preference and choosing a random number which would determine the plot of land to be given.
After submitting relevant information, the Commission would then proceed towards allocating the said land. With no guarantee that their plot would prove wealthy in natural resources, many entered the lottery and selected within the six districts – Mazaruni, Berbice, Potaro, Cuyuni, North West and the Rupununi.
Speaking at the activity, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman had stated that this initiative surfaced after complaints from miners about the absence of lands to carry out mining activities. As such, he had expressed his belief that the lottery would remedy the issue significantly.
In the lottery, recipients must submit proof of identity through a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) certificate, address and other relevant documents by a given date or forfeit their opportunity to gain access to the lands.