GEORGETOWN – Apart from being compliant with the rules and regulations under which their licences were granted, the government now wants goldsmiths, jewellers and gold dealers to keep records of who sell them gold. Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat made this known during a meeting with the stakeholders at the Roraima Duke Lodge located in Kingston Georgetown. The minister was joined by the Head of the of Guyana Geology and Mines Commission GGMC Newell Dennison and the Guyana Gold Board’s GGB General Manager, Eondrene Thompson.

During the discussion, Bharrat said, “The other thing that we need to introduce with your system, your collaboration, is the issue of people bringing gold to you” before adding, “There must be some form of record keeping, there must be some record keeping”. He stressed that records must be kept for the importance of traceability”. According to the Bharrat, some systems are already in place to ensure that this is done. “If that becomes a criterion, for your licence, then you have your records to show to GGMC”, he said. “You have to ensure that systems are in place, I can only put systems in place to ensure that you comply with the law…We have that system in place where you must have that log book to show that you have received x, y, z 1, 2 ounces of gold”, continued the Natural Resources Minister.

This move comes after Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo at one of his weekly press conferences noted that his government is concerned at the continuous decline over the years in gold declaration. At the meeting, the natural resources minister reminded the stakeholders that the decline began after 2016.  While he told the stakeholders, that extreme weather conditions might have contributed to low gold production in recent years, Jagdeo at his press conference said that smuggling is also responsible too.  (Kaieteur News)…[+]