Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman on Saturday heard the concerns of Marudi miners during an outreach to Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
A section of the miners gathered for the meeting with Minister Raphael Trotman in Lethem, Region Nine
The Minister met with the miners in the presence of a representative from the mining company Romanex Guyana, to assuage mistrust that still lingered among miners.
Earlier this year, the Natural Resources Ministry brokered an agreement through mediation between the company and the miners from the Marudi area who were in dispute over the use of mining claims which are held by Romanex in the Marudi Mountain.
Miners and business persons who operate in the Marudi area sought assurance that the displacement of their shops would be properly addressed, while others raised concerns about their lands being taken from them.
Shop owner Roslyn Primus noted that most of the shops in the area were operated by single-parent women and asked that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) authorise the move.
“We want to know where we are going… we want our licence,” Primus shared at the town hall style meeting held at the Arapaima Primary School.
As part of the agreement stemming from the mediation between miners and Romanex earlier this year, shop owners have to be relocated since their present location below the base of the mountain is dangerous.
Minister Trotman noted that “mining without shops is nothing”, and assured shop owners present that the GGMC was working out their relocation and they would be moved “to a place you all agree on”.
Minister Trotman further assured miners that he had “no intention of displacing or preventing anyone from earning an honest living”. However, Trotman pointed out that there were too many complaints in the South Rupununi area of illegal activities, such as Trafficking in Persons. The Minister said that there must be order in the mining sector. “Nobody is going to have their own way. We will have order.”
Premchand Paul of the South Rupununi Mining Association pointed out to the Minister that miners needed to be shown “how the agreement could be fully implemented”, if the distrust that remained between the Canadian company and small miners in the Marudi area was to be dispelled.
Meanwhile, Romanex Guyana has pledged to carry out several enhancement projects in Region Nine (Upper Tatuku-Upper Essequibo) as part of fulfilling its social corporate responsibility. Company representative Marshall Mintz assured miners that Romanex would hire locals and procure services locally in the setting up of its offices and other works. “We won’t be bringing people from Georgetown unless absolutely necessary… as time goes on, there will be jobs available both from Lethem and the deep South (Rupununi),” Mintz said.
As part of the mediation agreement, the Canadian company has agreed to ensure that communities nearest to its operations were given priority hiring.
Romanex Guyana has also pledged to install Internet service for 17 villages in South Rupununi, along with construction of roads, among other initiatives.
Minister Trotman told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that, “the people keeping an eye” was one sure way, along with monitoring by the GGMC, to ensure that the company honoured its pledges.
