President Irfaan Ali has told miners in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), that the government wants miners to succeed and build long-term wealth, but only within a clear and lawful framework.
Speaking during an outreach to miners in Bartica on Friday, following a similar engagement at Puruni Landing, the President announced plans to introduce a single, standardised contract to govern arrangements where miners work on lands owned or controlled by other parties.
He said the current practice of informal and varying agreements has created uncertainty and driven disputes across the sector.
“I want to encourage the executive of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association to sit with the small miners,” the President said, adding, “This complaint and this tug-of-war must come to an end.”
Under the proposed system, all land-use arrangements would be covered by one agreement, with uniform terms and conditions applying to small, medium and large operators. The President explained that whether payments are made as fixed monthly sums or as a percentage of production, the rules must be clearly defined and applied consistently.
To move the process forward, he urged stakeholders to spend two weeks negotiating and finalising the agreement, stressing that the exercise is not political but directly connected to miners’ livelihoods and long-term security.
“Let us agree on what it will be. Let us agree the conditions on working these lands. Let us agree on everything. One contract. One agreement that governs the entire industry for small, medium, and large miners,” he said.
President Ali also warned that miners who enter side arrangements outside the agreed framework would not be able to seek redress under the new system, noting that the structure cannot protect those who attempt to bypass it.
Reiterating that mining in Guyana is a shared enterprise involving small, medium and large operators as well as the State, the Head of State rejected claims that the government intends to close down the sector.
“I want every single one of you to be successful. I want you to get wealthy. I want you to get prosperous. I want you to be better. I want you to build homes. But I also want you to do what is right in accordance with the law. That’s all we’re asking.”
He reminded operators that they are required to mine legitimately, declare gold locally, and comply with environmental and regulatory obligations, cautioning that abuse of the system ultimately results in closure and exclusion.
Beyond land-use conflicts, the President raised concerns about inefficient use of mining lands, arguing that it is uneconomical for large numbers of small miners to operate in scattered locations. He outlined a plan to group small miners into organised teams or consortia and allocate block lands to those groupings.
According to the President, this approach would allow the State to more efficiently support infrastructure works such as roads and access routes, while giving miners the benefits of operating at scale.
Highlighting the economic weight of the industry in Region Seven, President Ali said small and medium-scale miners accounted for 41 per cent of total gold declarations last year, producing more than 105,000 ounces. He said this generated about $88 billion in economic activity, or more than US$470 million.
He estimated that direct employment from small and medium-scale mining in the region exceeds 7,600 workers, with total employment, including indirect jobs, approaching 15,000.
“These are real numbers,” he said, noting that mining supports a wide range of businesses, including transport, retail, food services, mechanical and engineering services, banking and insurance.
The President urged mining associations to take responsibility for engaging their members and resolving internal conflicts, warning that the actions of a few can damage the entire sector.
“We are in this together,” he said. “It is our collective responsibility to fix this.”
He said the standardised contract represents a practical step toward stability, fairness and long-term sustainability in the mining industry.
The President was accompanied on the visit by Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat and Small Miners leader David Daniels.
