As miners and government square off over new proposals for mining, the battle lines have been drawn, with the newspapers being bombarded with several advertisements for and against the work of a special committee appointed by President Bharrat Jagdeo.On Wednesday, for the first time, a full-page coloured advertisement paid for by a “Group For Good Mining”, and carried in the Kaieteur News, saw several pictures depicting what was described as “Bad Mining Practices Exposed!”A group calling itself the “Group For Good Mining” published this picture along with eight others in an advertisement in this newspaper yesterday claiming that the entire mining industry should be held accountable for unhealthy mining practices.Nine coloured pictures showed what is apparent damage to the environment, in unidentified mining areas, including one with muddy waters.“The entire mining community needs to be held accountable for unhealthy environmental practices,” the advertisement noted, questioning why “some big miners” would want to destroy the environment by resisting improvements.Last year, Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Norway that will see US$250M coming to Guyana over the next five years,Cheap Authentic Jerseys, for measures to actively protect this country’s forests from degradation.In December, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds wrote the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) instructing that miners give a six-month notification before commencing operations.However, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association (GGDMA) during a meeting called by President Bharrat Jagdeo at State House earlier this year, expressed concerns over the proposals.The President, in nullifying the letter, then appointed a special body, the Land Use Committee, chaired by Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, to consider new regulations including the six-month notice proposal. Sitting on that committee also were miners’ representatives and the Guyana Forestry Commission. The mandate of that committee was to address and recommend ways in which the miners and loggers could work together, especially where mining is being conducted in concession areas.On Monday, miners and residents of Bartica and its environs shut down that community to force home their point. This was despite a meeting at Bartica on Saturday with a government delegation led by Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud. During that meeting, Barticians had signaled their intentions to still go ahead with Monday’s strike and warned opposition parties to stay away from using the protests for political mileage.On Sunday, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association (GGDMA) and the Forestry Producers’ Association (FPA) in a joint statement said that following a meeting between the two on January 28, last, said it had reached common grounds of collaboration, given the multiple use of the forests.The statement noted that none of the sectors was more important than the other, especially in respect of the sustainable livelihoods of all the stakeholders who have been operating legally in their respective sectors.The joint statement noted that there was no real conflict, perceived or otherwise, between miners and loggers, “as there are workable proposals wherein a logger can operate within the forest/mining concession based on commercial interest of each party’s legitimate business.The two parties urged that government’s regulating agencies should be ready to agree to accommodate suggestions for such practices in order to maximize resource use until there is a National Land Use Policy and Plan.The two bodies also urged that there should be no decisions that will have a negative impact on the social and economic life of the miners and loggers.The answer to the problems in the two industries to bring about greater collaboration is a clear and practical land-use plan, which eliminates the need for short-term notices that may prove impractical for the stakeholders.Today, the GGDMA is scheduled to meet with miners and other stakeholders at Port Kaituma, North West District, Region One, to discuss among other things, the proposals.
