Dear Editor,
Romanex Guyana Exploration Limited would like to point out the inaccuracies contained in the news article carried on July 24 in Guyana Times, titled “Marudi Mining Agreement…bash Natural Resources Ministers for lack of action”.
1) A Mediation Agreement was initiated by the Minister of Natural Resources and was signed by a number of stakeholders in April of 2016. The Agreement was intended to provide small miners, who were working illegally on a property and in an environmentally unacceptable manner and in violation of the mining laws and regulations with an opportunity to work under the Mining Licence Holder – Romanex. It is in fact a ground-breaking approach to incorporate large and small-scale miners as one that could work well if all parties approach it with good faith as intended.
A number of small miners have already taken advantage of this opportunity, whilst others are taking advantage of lapses in enforcement. Certain persons who are also large businessmen in the area seem to have committed to derail the process in order to further their own agendas while other opportunists are trying to derail the process due to the fact regulated mining requires accountability.
2) Romanex is ready to begin work and indeed has attempted to do so with the start of our Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). We are only awaiting cessation of illegal mining and when that occurs, it will then serve to launch the opportunities for small miners as envisioned under the Mediation Agreement. Miners who are mining in a lawful manner are not being held back at all by the Ministry, GGMC or Romanex and in the last few months declared production of 910 ozs to the company.
Additionally, Romanex has had to since suspend the ESIA field work due to the continuous non-compliant, environmentally damaging mining activity, which is not conducive to baseline studies. There are areas of the Mining Licence where the miners could work at present and they are well aware of this. It is their decision to work in the illegal and dangerous tunnels.
3) Complaints in the article about Minister Trotman appear to be mischievous and the miners certainly have nothing to complain about with regard to the Minister’s efforts to accommodate their requests. Contrary to what was reported, the GGMC has offered to facilitate the relocation of illegal shops to a landing cleared and prepared by Romanex at the request of the miners at a public meeting in Lethem in November last. The move is long overdue and has been given multiple extended deadlines by the Ministry, none of which has been adhered to by the miners or shop owners.
4) Romanex is well funded and the statement in the “news article” “financially strapped” is erroneous and mischievous.
5) No workers from Romanex have “not been paid in months”. This statement is patently false and libellous.
6) No Romanex employee or management is a “Facilitator”. Facilitators are Ministry appointed to attempt to achieve compliance with the Mediation Agreement and the only mining that Romanex has asked to be stopped is mining that is environmentally unsafe and damaging.
7) Persons identified in the ESIA are not benefiting as they should because of the illegal activities that are preventing the company from moving forward for security and environmental/social impact reasons, including Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and drug sales. Romanex has requested that the miners participate by identifying the “culprits” and requesting they be evicted from the area.
The Ministry of Natural Resources said it is committed to doing what is necessary to ensure that miners have a livelihood and are able to work without compromising the integrity of the environment or infringing upon the rights of communities within mining districts. Romanex is similarly strongly committed and would welcome an early meeting with all stakeholders in the Marudi Mediation Agreement to put an end to these wholly untrue and malicious claims and to move the process forward.
Sincerely,
Marshall Mintz
Romanex Guyana
