GGMC warns against illegal sale, transfer of mining lands

…urges pursuit of lawful joint ventures

The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) is moving to clamp down on the practice of selling or purporting to sell mining lands issued by the Commission and is cautioning stakeholders against undertaking such unauthorised transactions.
In a statement on Tuesday, it was noted that this issue is seriously engaging the attention of the Commission.
“The GGMC will continue to monitor this matter and will take such regulatory and other appropriate action as may be necessary to safeguard the integrity of the mining sector and protect persons from entering into unauthorised or irregular transactions involving mining lands,” the missive detailed.
According to the GGMC, mining lands and related tenures are granted to individuals and entities specifically to undertake mining activities as represented in the application process, and in accordance with the applicable laws, regulations, terms and conditions governing the grant of such tenure.
To this end, it advised tenure holders against the sale, assignment, or purported transfer of mining lands in circumstances where such transactions are not authorised under the applicable legal and regulatory framework.
Moreover, the Commission is also discouraging the use of Irrevocable Powers of Attorney (IPOAs) as a means of effecting or facilitating the purported sale, transfer, or acquisition of mining lands.
It pointed out that an irrevocable power of attorney, in itself, is not acceptable proof of ownership or lawful tenure of mining property, as such individuals are therefore urged to exercise caution when entering into arrangements involving mining lands on the basis of such instruments.
“The GGMC therefore reiterates its advisory to all tenure holders: mining lands granted for mining purposes should not be sold or purportedly sold, and irrevocable powers of attorney should not be treated as proof of ownership or lawful tenure,” it noted.

Legitimate opportunities
Meanwhile, the GGMC went on to recognise, however, that there are legitimate opportunities for investors, miners, and other stakeholders to collaborate in the development of mining properties.
According to the Commission, “…persons who wish to develop or participate in the development of mining properties are encouraged to explore legitimate joint venture arrangements and other lawful mechanisms through which parties can collaborate in mining operations and achieve beneficial occupation and productive use of the property.”
Such arrangements, it stated, should be properly structured, documented, and submitted to the GGMC for consideration and approval.
The GGMC further urges all individuals contemplating transactions involving mining lands to seek clarification from the Commission before entering into any agreement or making financial commitments. It added that persons should not rely solely on private agreements, powers of attorney, receipts, or other instruments as evidence that an individual has the legal right to sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of a mining property.

“The Commission remains committed to ensuring that mining lands are utilised in accordance with their intended purpose, that the integrity of the mining tenure system is maintained, and that Guyana’s mineral resources are developed in a transparent, responsible, and sustainable manner,” Tuesday’s missive detailed.
This move to crackdown on the unauthorised resale and transfer of mining lands comes as part of a series of initiatives undertaken by the Guyana government, through the Natural Resources Ministry and the GGMC, to streamline the local mining industry.
Already, several deceptive actions have been taken to curb illegal mining and gold smuggling under its zero-tolerance policy as well as to increase production and declarations.
In fact, only last month, six foreign nationals were arrested after they were found conducting unauthorised operations in Guyana.
At least five Brazilians and one Chinese national were detained on Thursday, August 20, over illegal mining activities in one of the local mining districts, the Natural Resources Ministry said.
Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat had previously stated that the crackdown on illegal activities has yielded results, with gold declarations increasing by 25,000 ounces during the first six months of 2026.
During an appearance on the Starting Point podcast in July, Bharrat had revealed that the industry reached its budgeted target of gold declaration for the half-year period with some 233,000 ounces of gold.
According to Bharrat, the industry had not recorded such outstanding performance since 2016, when large companies such as the Guyana Gold Fields and Troy Resources were actively operating here. Since then, there had been a dip in declaration until 2024, when a slight increase was recorded compared to the previous year.
In 2025, there was an increase of some 52,000 ounces in production for the entire year.
But the natural resources Minister noted that, “…last year, ending in June, we were 25,000 below what we have now. Right now, we’re close to 240,000 ounces that have been declared over this period of time. Mind you, the weather conditions [were] not favourable to us.”
Nevertheless, Bharrat had attributed this mid-year increase in gold declarations to the government’s serious crackdown, which heightened earlier this year, on miners and mining companies that did no or limited declarations last year.
“We had caused them not to renew some of their licences and permits,” the Natural Resources Minister stated. “We had to blacklist some of the non-nationals, whose declarations were very low or non-existent… They cannot come back to the country and engage in the mining sector. And we have been on a serious campaign since then – a zero-tolerance approach to illegal activities in the mining sector.”