“Shape up fast or ship out with haste” – GGDMA tells foreign operators

– backs Govt’s “zero-tolerance” campaign to rid mining sector of bad actors

In light of the Guyana Government’s renewed efforts to streamline the mining sector, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) is calling on foreign operators here to follow local rules and regulations or close their operations.
“To all the foreign-based operators who have been allowed the privilege to mine in our country: you are welcome if you are following the rules. To those who are not: you better shape up fast or ship out with haste,” the GGDMA declared in a statement on Saturday.
This comes on the heels of the Ministry of Natural Resources announcing on Thursday last that the Guyana Government has commenced a zero-tolerance policy against mining operations that have failed to meet their statutory obligations.
In recent months, there has been a renewed drive by local mining authorities to curb illegal gold trade and streamline the mining sector to strengthen accountability, environmental protection and production compliance.
During a high-level meeting earlier this month, President Dr Irfaan Ali had ordered that all registered dredges with no declaration be deregistered and all foreign miners operating illegally in Guyana be identified for prosecution and expulsion.
This was after it was reported that some Brazilian miners operating in Guyana have had very low or no declarations. Those miners were given 24 hours to comply fully with the laws of Guyana and the requirement to declare to the Guyana Gold Board.

Suspended operations
Following the Head of State’s directives on January 2, the Natural Resources Ministry carried out a joint operation with the Police Force in Georgetown during which undocumented individuals were processed, gold was seized and persons of interest were verified.
In fact, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has since suspended the operations of over 100 Brazilian nationals who operate here and failed to be processed and verify their information during the recent exercise.
According to the GGMC in a public notice on January 5, “Such suspension takes effect immediately and shall remain in force pending the affected persons’ engagement with, and compliance to the satisfaction of, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission.”
Moreover, all mining operators, including foreigners, are now required to open a local bank account in order to continue operating in Guyana.
On Thursday, the Natural Resources Ministry said the rollout of its zero-tolerance campaign has already resulted in a number of operations being shut down, minerals seized, and legal proceedings initiated against the offenders.

Ending illicit activities
The GGDMA, in Saturday’s missive, said it fully endorses the Government’s zero-tolerance policy against illegal mining and unregulated activities.
“We stand firmly behind the comprehensive campaign to sanitise the industry, ensuring that 2026 becomes the defining year for ridding the sector of bad actors who tarnish the reputation of compliant miners. The serious steps currently being taken are necessary to bring an end to illicit activities in the sector,” the association noted.
Highlighting that the mining sector is evolving, the GGDMA declared that the days of informal, undocumented trading are over. It stressed that legitimate miners have nothing to fear from these changes, but those who operate in the shadows must either regularise or exit the industry.
Recently, there have been suggestions that the enforcement of mining laws regarding gold trading threatens the livelihood of small miners or dismantles established credit systems. Addressing these concerns, the GGDMA pointed out that laws governing the sector are clear: that is, gold must only be sold to the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) or to authorised buyers, which are strictly defined as dealers licensed by the GGB and licensed traders in gold as approved by the GGMC.
According to the Association, “If a shopkeeper or business owner wishes to deal in gold, they must obtain the requisite trading license from the GGMC for the purpose of bartering. We applaud the insistence by the Government agencies that miners have bank accounts, as this will aid in increasing the transparency as well as security in the sector.”
“Miners have already adopted modern platforms to communicate and manage their operations; they are the owners of smartphones, and most have access to the internet throughout the interior. Radio sets and similar devices are tools of the past. The industry needs to transition from a “keep your money under your mattress” mentality to utilising these same modern communication tools to securely view their bank accounts and make electronic transfers instead of cash payments to settle their bills, both in the rural and urban areas.”

Necessary steps
The GGDMA went on to encourage the adoption of these types of financial tools and services for greater security in the sector, which will also result in ease of conducting business since, for many transactions, miners would not even need to leave their camps.
The Association also reminded miners that the archaic practice of “paying in gold” for goods or services, commonly referred to as the “blai box”, must end.
“Gold is the property of the state and must enter the formal system through licensed channels with a verifiable paper trail. Enforcing the requirement for gold buyers to be licensed is not an attempt to wipe out small miners; it is a necessary step to stop the smuggling of gold. Unregulated itinerant trading posts, or “landings”, set up at will often feed directly into smuggling rings. Any entity wishing to trade gold has a clear path to get licensed,” the GGDMA asserted.
It went to encourage all miners to adopt these positive changes, as it reiterated support for the full restoration of the sector, where legitimate miners can operate comfortably, free from the stigma caused by those who refuse to follow the law.