Collaborative efforts needed to put Guyana ahead in mining sector transparency

…U.S. Ambassador says

United States (U.S.) Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch said that Guyana is a regional leader in mining sector legislation and the efforts of stakeholders to ensure Guyana’s good standing with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) should be replicated in other sectors and other regional countries.

At the launch of the Guyana Extractives Industry Transparency (GEIT) Week at a virtual conference on Monday, Lynch presented remarks stating that the U.S. is working with the Guyanese Government, the private sector and civil society to support Guyana’s stewardship of its natural resources and wealth. She said that each of the aforementioned groups have an important role in ensuring good governance and have done a commendable job thus far.

“In April of this year, the US Embassy hosted a series of virtual programs to honor environmental awareness, and we held a session online. That session confirmed that Guyana is a regional leader in mining sector legislation and stakeholder participation. I would like to think that the GYEST project had something to do with that,” she said.

The USAID’s Guyana Extractives Sector Transparency (GYEST) Project and other U.S. Government partners have been working with the Government to support Guyana’s stewardship of its natural resources.

The project began after Guyana applied to EITI, set up the GYEITI National Secretariat and became an EITI Candidate country in October 2017. Subsequently, the GYEST Project helped local partners identify gaps in mainstreaming and disclosure to meet EITI requirements.

“As a result of the USAID program and the diligent efforts of our partners, journalists wrote investigative pieces on the extractive sector and promoted transparency in the sector. Civil society organizations are working within their communities to improve public knowledge of transparency in the sector and involve the public in governance processes,” Lynch said.

She also highlighted that, in 2020, USAID increased support for the GYEST project by $500,000, making the total investment $1 million U.S. Dollars.

As pointed out by the Ambassador, mining creates between 12,000 to18,000 jobs for Guyanese.

Lynch said: “It takes all stakeholders working together to build an industry that is transparent and successful. Jobs within the sector feed families, they put children in school. They help build a diverse economy, and they help build a nation. What we have done here together in the extractives sector should be a model for other industries in the country and the region.”