Dear Editor,
As a small miner operating within the Cuyuni/Mazaruni and Aranka mining areas for over 20 years, I am heartened by Government’s recent announcement of over $2 billion worth of incentives and support to the mining sector. This will benefit everyone but everyone.
Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo and Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat have delivered on their promises to support all miners. Even the smallest of the small will benefit from these interventions to cushion the increasing cost of production, due to COVID-19 and the ongoing Ukraine/Russia war.
This is evidence that the current administration is listening, not only to the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, but also to the small miners in the backdam, whom the Government and its agencies have been engaging constantly.
Editor, I am more pleased to know that we have a listening and caring Government, and more so that ordinary citizens can make suggestions and recommendations which are acted upon by the Government to guide policy and create avenues for incentives across the board for all.
I must say miners have received and benefited from support over the past two years, such as in the last budget, wherein was a reduction and removal of VAT and some taxes on various levels of pick-ups, trucks and ATVs; and, most recently, the complete removal of taxes on fuel and lubricants.
And now there is an additional set of incentives, such as the reduction of final tax on income from gold produced from 3.5% to 2.5%; abolition of the 10% tributors’ tax; removal of 14% VAT on lubricating oils, etc. This is in addition to a commitment to expedite the construction of roads and associated infrastructure to support not only mining, but logging as well.
Therefore, I am pleased, like thousands of other miners, with these incentives for the mining sector. It’s a clear indication that we have a caring Government, a Government that listens and, most importantly, has made a firm commitment that mining is here to stay, just like every other traditional productive sector in Guyana.
In closing, I would again like to commend the Government for not only listening to the miners, but also acting for the benefit of all Guyanese, as we are all responsible for transforming and elevating the lives of all our brothers and sisters across all sectors. God bless us all.
Sincerely,
C. De Barros
