Minister calls on miners to remain productive after cash grant distribution

Following a recent meeting with small-scale miners at Puruni Landing in Region Seven (Cuyuni–Mazaruni) on Friday, Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat urged miners to continue working after receiving the Government’s cash grant, noting reports that some individuals temporarily halt their operations once the grant is collected.
He strongly discouraged the practice, emphasising that the grant is intended to supplement income, not replace regular work.
“My friends, Budget 2026 will significantly help our people. Further to that, His Excellency promised that in this year’s budget there will be a $100,000 cash grant for every single adult Guyanese, and you will receive that after the budget,” the Minister said. “I was in Mahdia recently meeting with miners, and many of them were not too happy when I mentioned the cash grant, mainly because some workers, after collecting the grant, do not return to work immediately, but we want to encourage you to collect your cash grant and continue working,” he added.

On this point, he reiterated that the cash grant is meant to supplement regular earnings and is not intended to replace income. He further encouraged miners to remain actively engaged in their livelihoods.
“So I want to encourage you – collect your cash grant as Guyanese, but go back to work, continue working, and continue engaging in your economic activity and daily routine of earning a living. As I mentioned earlier, our presence here today, and His Excellency’s presence, is a commitment to the mining sector, especially to our small- and medium-scale Guyanese miners,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Minister also addressed enforcement measures, explaining that they are intended to help miners become compliant, ensure their operations are legal, and guarantee that gold is sold through the Guyana Gold Board.
While reaffirming the Government’s willingness to work with miners, he stressed that miners must also uphold their responsibilities by operating legitimately, adhering to mining regulations, and practising safe and environmentally responsible mining.
“Let us protect our environment while we do our mining – low-impact mining, or, as we say, mining with the environment in mind. Let us ensure that we have tailings ponds and settling ponds and that we do not discharge directly into our main waterways, as we have had a few complaints about that. Let us work together on this,” the Minister said.
He also encouraged miners to adopt alternative gold extraction technologies to improve recovery rates and profitability while reducing environmental harm.
“I want to encourage you to look at different technologies for extracting your gold, or doing a ‘washdown’ as you commonly call it, so that we can increase your recovery rate and make your venture far more profitable. But let us mine with the environment in mind and ensure we are fully compliant with the mining regulations and laws of our country,” he added.
Addressing non-national miners, Bharrat urged them to ensure they are operating within the law and working under proper agreements with Guyanese miners.
The Minister further explained that officers of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) are not only tasked with enforcement but are also present to assist miners in improving their operations. He said GGMC officers provide technical guidance, advise on more efficient mining techniques, and promote the use of alternative technologies to mercury.
He noted that reducing mercury use increases gold recovery rates while protecting miners’ health and the environment, particularly at a time when gold prices remain high.
“So our message here today is simple: we want to work with you, but we want you to work with us too – to ensure that your operations are fully legal and that you are selling your gold to a legitimate buyer. That is [my] main message here today as Minister of Natural Resources,” Bharrat said.